Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited
To get straight to the podcast, here you go…Your Life, Unlimited with Stephanie Staples and Charles Marcus
If you are more of a reader, carry on…
What could you do if you had more willpower, perhaps even better, what could you not do?
You could not have dessert, not have the supersize fries, not spend endless hours on Facebook, not jam out on your gym membership, not call that old boyfriend back.
The results of American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America Survey shows that participants regularly cite lack of willpower as the number one most significant barrier to change. I’m assuming that the data in Canada would be similar.
But wait – good new is coming!
Research is showing that willpower, the ability to resist short-term temptations in favor of a larger goal, is something that can be strengthened. In the same way get better at anything: practice, determination and commitment all play large roles.
To start off, think of your goal in as much detail as possible – see it and feel it, the more real you can make it, the better.
Now think (or even better jot down) the obstacles that are bound to come out and get in the way of you reaching your goal.
Okay, now it’s time to come up with a Plan B for how you will handle the situation that will keep you on track with your bigger goal. Remember we are working on forgoing short term satisfaction for long-term gains.
Researcher found that the test group who had thought through the scenarios and how to handle them they were much more likely to stick to their goals than the group of people who didn’t think through a Plan B.
Reframing your decision making questions is another great way to strengthen your willpower. So instead of asking yourself, “Do I want this piece of chocolate cake.” to which the answer is most likely an excited, “Yes, I do!” Train you brain to reframe the question to something with a more positive reward choice, for example, “Do I want this piece of chocolate cake, or do I want to be one step closer to having my jeans fit.”
I don’t know about you, but I want my jeans to fit. Even if we only gain 5 pounds a year, times that by 5 years and we are on our way to destructive behaviors and habits.
So if you agree having stronger willpower would be a useful tool to pull out of your tool belt as needed, try these few techniques and enjoy getting closer to your goals every day.
If you have any great tips that have worked for you, please share them with us!
I love this guy! Charles Marcus is the author of Success is Not a Spectator Sport – How to Take Action and Achieve More, we had a great chat on the Your Life, Unlimited radio show.
Charles says the four hardest words to say are, “I need your help.” Listen in to the whole show, sans commercial interruption, here: Your Life, Unlimited with Stephanie Staples and Charles Marcus
Best of the day, Steph
* Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), conferred by the National Speakers Association is the speaking profession’s international measure of professional platform proficiency. Less than 10 percent of speakers have earned this credential and are recognized as some of the best in their fields. Stephanie was one of only five professional speakers in Canada (and the only woman) to attain this designation in 2013.
– See more at: http://yourlifeunlimited.ca/who-am-i-really/#sthash.zOBouBan.dpuf
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