What are some useful tricks you use to increase your willpower?

 

I can think of 5 that I practice daily.

Willpower tip #1. I make the most of it early in the day.

It’s not just me — it’s common to wake up in the morning and feel overwhelmed with the amount of things we need to do. As a result, I used to procrastinate on some of those things and postpone them for later in the afternoon. After a while I felt that this approach was a mistake. Why? Because I believe we deplete our willpower reserves the more we let our day go by.

• How can you apply this? If you want to focus on priorities, work on them early. This means do them in the morning, and keep working on them until you take a lunch break. For example, I don’t put off tasks if I know they’ll accumulate within 24 hours. I try to write up a plan for the work week ahead of time, usually in checklist format. If I’m reading through some important material, I immediately take notes while my brain is still focused on what’s in front of me. That way I won’t forget the top-level information that I might need to use later.

Willpower tip #2. I practice baby steps to keep things simple.

Every positive habit we want to acquire needs a good dose of self-discipline, a bit of time, and definitely a lot of repetition. But once you frame it that way, it may seem intimidating. Who has all that time? Who’s disciplined enough? We won’t necessarily feel we have all it takes to build a good habit. But the trick is in simplifying a new habit to the point that it’s impossible to come up with excuses not to practice it.

• How can you apply this? To simplify a change you’re making in your life, start with baby steps. Baby steps are exactly that — really small, short, and quick activities that anyone can do. For example, if I feel stuck starting a writing assignment, I’ll warm up my brain and my fingertips by typing a short paragraph of 2–3 sentences on that topic. If I am too tired to go to the gym, I’ll tell myself that I’ll just go there to work out for 15–20 minutes, not more. If I feel like I’m not getting enough sleep, I’ll set a bedtime alarm to notify me it’s time to get ready, and I’ll move my bedtime up by 15 minutes.

Willpower tip #3. I say“NO!” a lot.

If you ever found yourself running out of time to do what you need to finish (and that’s probably all of us!), chances are it means you’re not using your resources in the most optimal way. The biggest and most valuable resource we possess is time. That’s why it’s dangerous to allow distractions of any kind take over, and use up, our most value resource. This can apply to spending hours on pointless conversations, watching TV for hours, or just sitting around waiting to be entertained by someone or something else.

• How can you apply this? People who are in my closest circle of family and friends know that I’m a big fan of saying no. Exercising your “no!” muscle means literally saying no in a variety of situations in your daily life. If there’s leftover cake in the fridge, I won’t eat a double portion for two days in a row just because it’s there. If I’m in the middle of finishing up a project and a friend calls to ask if I want to hang out, I don’t just drop everything I’m doing and go — but I ask if we can reschedule the meeting. I believe it’s super important to know your priorities and always be aware of why you’re doing something to begin with — because it’s usually tied to a personal goal you set in the past.

Willpower tip #4. I am merciless towards distractions.

It’s next to impossible to focus on getting any work done if we allow our attention to move on to little things around us. Everything sounds tempting. New emails in your inbox—what if one is urgent? New Instagram posts you’d like to check out as soon as you wake up. Or the news waiting for you to read on Twitter. Who can resist starting the day in this way? I believe it’s important to learn how to tackle distractions head on. The benefits are huge — when you turn off distractions, you have a better chance to actually focus on things that matter.

• How can you apply this? First, turn off the digital distractions when you need to do your most challenging cognitive tasks such as studying, problem-solving, or writing. I often set my phone to Airplane mode and also turn off all notifications. I check email and social media apps 2–3 times instead of 20–30 times a day. If I don’t want to be disturbed while in the middle of trying to solve a problem, I let people around me know I’ll be busy for a few hours so they don’t interrupt. Finally, I put on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and listen to music that helps me focus.

Willpower tip #5. I make a plan B for the unexpected.

It’s very rare for things to run smoothly just like we’d ideally want them to. Real life is quite the opposite — we start working on something, and sooner or later there’s an obstacle or a delay in schedule that we’ll have to address. What works best in these situations? I found that having a plan B in place gives me peace of mind for those moments when the day turns stressful, or I’m just tired and can’t keep my eyes open to finish reading the research material I’ve planned to complete.

• How can you apply this? First, tell yourself that whatever it is you’re feeling in a particular situation, it is an emotional reaction and it will pass. I try my best to keep my emotions in check so they don’t rule my day (and yes, I know this is hard to do but the key is to keep trying). Second, resist the urge to give up doing something that you know is good for you. Just because it feels uncomfortable now to go to the gym and I’d rather go straight home and make dinner, doesn’t mean the exercise ritual won’t have a positive impact on my life. And third, make a plan B. If something takes longer than I expected, I’ll adjust my schedule and take off an item that’s unnecessary to complete today, so it frees up more time to do something that’s top priority for me.