In many cases, willpower is a combination of conscious and unconscious desire. However, these two compasses are usually divergent, so we end up proposing one thing and doing another. In other words, we end up confusing willpower because we don’t know which card to bet our resources on. So, to develop willpower and make full use of it, the first idea to follow is to clearly determine certain objectives.
One of the most disconcerting aspects of the human being is that in many cases we do what we want – yes, to choose between limited options – although it is difficult to recognize. I can, can’t I, actually, they want to, okay? That is why, without developing the will, in many cases the problem is how to identify our true desire in the range of options that we have at our disposal.
- Why is it important to develop the will? One reason is simple: because it allows us to have more control over our lives.
- Making it follow the path that our hearts and beliefs tell us.
- Here are five tips to facilitate this process.
“If we did all the things we were able to do, we would certainly be surprised. Is it all a matter of will?. ” -Thomas Alva Edison-
The basic principle for developing willpower is self-knowledge, as mentioned above, sometimes we don’t even know what we want, so we focus on a goal and the will fails, we have not been able to maintain or consolidate that goal.
A typical example (and somewhat redundant, but illustrative) is weight loss. Many people get involved in this task and succeed, but then abandon the goal. Others give up early in the morning. In both cases, the measures taken to achieve the objective were very demanding with their resources. In this way, the will eventually diminished.
On the other hand, they might really want to lose weight for a reason that did not gather all the fibers of willpower, perhaps to avoid social pressure.
In this example, as in many others, the person does not recognize his true desire (to please others; to lose weight would be a way to satisfy that desire in this case) and therefore the will fails, so it is so important to exercise in introspection to get to know each other better and define what he really wants, in addition to analyzing whether what he wants constructive is constructive , which will facilitate the development of the will.
Often, the steps to take to achieve immediate satisfaction are contrary to what needs to be done to achieve long-term satisfaction, if we have to use willpower in a decision it is because there is something unpleasant about it.
The alternative, then, is to give in to momentary pleasure and succumb to immediate desire, or give up this pleasure in the light of long-term goals. A good example is smokers. The dilemma they face is: “Do I smoke this cigarette now or change the pleasure of smoking to the satisfaction of overcoming addiction and improving my health?It should be considered that this issue creates more confusion, the further away it is from the long-term objective or the more doubts there are about its viability.
We can help the will a lot by dividing the big goals into small challenges, rewarding ourselves when we manage to achieve them, this reinforcement is, in essence, a food for the will, yet we must be careful in how we reward ourselves. for our efforts.
If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s not advisable to reward yourself with an exaggerated dinner, or if you want to quit smoking, don’t reward yourself with a cigarette, take this very seriously. Give yourself something constructive and good for you.
Every time we do something that makes us unhappy, there is an internal conflict, especially at first, there is an emotional tension that can become irritating, that is, there is a stress that we have to deal with.
Relaxation techniques help a lot in these circumstances. Properly managing internal stresses is one of the main success factors, when anxiety increases, nothing better than using one of these relaxation techniques to stabilize us.
Positive words and messages have enormous power. Therefore, one of the recommendations to develop the will is to feed us, the ideal is to have at your fingertips and in writing the reasons that led you to make this decision that tests your firmness.
When you write down your reasons do it in an encouraging and positive way, highlight the positive side that you will get when you reach your goal, it is also important to have messages or phrases that strengthen us, in difficult times they are a great help because they help us to focus on what is important.
Developing the will is necessary to live better, the feeling that we are in charge of the ship feeds self-love, self-confidence and self-confidence, preparing us for bigger and more difficult challenges.