Building Up Your Willpower

‘The first step to becoming it is to will it.’ – Mother Teresa

Willpower is the power of choice, of actually doing what you've chosen to do – what you intend to do – even when you don't feel like it. Willpower is the inner determination that drives you forward. It enables you to keep focused and achieve your goals.

We've all had good intentions. Maybe you've promised yourself you're going to get up early and do some chores. Perhaps you intend to eat something healthy for lunch, fill in that job application this evening or go for a run at the weekend.

So what stops you? Why is willpower so difficult to maintain? According to several studies, we all have a limited amount of willpower and it is easily used up. When you have to exercise willpower and self-control in one situation, there is less willpower available to you for other situations, even if those situations are totally different from each other.

Spend an hour (reluctantly) writing a report or putting together a presentation, and even though you intended to write your Christmas cards or go for a run afterwards, your brain doesn't have enough energy left to motivate you. You've used up your willpower and fallen victim to ‘can't power’.

The good news is that you can build up your willpower in a mindful way, by focusing on activities that require a small amount of willpower. Rather than think about things you need to motivate yourself for at some future point in the day, you use your motivation to do small things in the present.