{"id":23029,"date":"2015-01-17T09:00:07","date_gmt":"2015-01-17T14:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=23029"},"modified":"2021-05-05T08:46:07","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T12:46:07","slug":"willpower-how-to-achieve-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/willpower-how-to-achieve-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Willpower Is a Muscle: Here’s How to Train It"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo:
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When the going gets tough, what\u2019s your move? Will you quit and take the easy way out or will you stick to your long-term goals? Roughly one third of New Year\u2019s resolutions get abandoned by February<\/a> because, let\u2019s face it: old habits die hard. So if you\u2019re in it to win it this year, first make sure your willpower is up to the task.<\/p>\n

Mind Over Matter: Willpower 101<\/b><\/h3>\n

Willpower, or self-discipline, influences how individuals regulate attention, moderate emotions and control actions. Each time we make a decision \u2014 what to order for dinner, whether to hit the gym<\/a>, or when to go to bed \u2014 we are exercising some level of self-control. And yes, we \u201cexercise\u201d willpower. It\u2019s a form of mental energy that, like an overworked muscle, can get exhausted<\/a> and stop functioning optimally.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> How Exhaustion Might Change the Way You Think<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWillpower is both physiological and psychological,\u201d explains Michael Gervais<\/a>, PhD, a sports psychologist to top athletes from the NBA, NFL, MLB and U.S. Olympic team, to name a few. To help these world-class athletes perfect their mental game and steel their wills for high-pressure competitions, it has to start from within, says Dr. Gervais. He describes exercising willpower as \u201can internal conflict, a standing civil war within ourselves.\u201d Our \u201cgrittiness,\u201d or ability to prevail despite discomfort, he says, depends on how we fuel our body and how well we can focus our minds.<\/p>\n

Pump Up Your Power<\/b><\/h3>\n

Here are a few simple ways to mentally and physically prepare for whatever obstacles lie ahead.<\/p>\n

1. Eat Well
\n<\/b>Nutrition is essential for proper brain functioning, and brain cells working to maintain self-control<\/a> require glucose, or sugar. When glucose is low, your brain responds strongly to immediate rewards (like the candies near the cash register) and pays less attention to long-term benefits or goals. To maintain a consistent level of glucose, eat balanced meals that have a significant amount of protein and fiber, which will keep you feeling fuller longer.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Are You Getting Enough Fiber?\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Drink Up
\n<\/b>Research shows that dehydration can negatively influence cognitive performance<\/a>, so don\u2019t slack on sipping H2<\/sub>O<\/a>! Whether you\u2019re at the gym, in class or at the office, it\u2019s important to drink roughly one to four liters<\/a> of water a day to keep your mind functioning properly. Research shows that we sometimes mistake thirst for hunger<\/a>, so reach for a glass of water before grabbing a snack. Plus, since the body often gets dehydrated before our brains get the memo we\u2019re thirsty, be sure to hit the water cooler before<\/i> you start to feel parched.<\/p>\n

3. Get Your Zzz\u2019s
\n<\/b>Did you know some of the best athletes have sleep coaches<\/a> to help maximize shut-eye? Even if you don\u2019t regularly decide what play to run after a snap, take a cue from the pros and prioritize sleeping six to eight hours each night. Being tired can significantly impair your judgment, reaction time and awareness, making sleep deprivation as dangerous as intoxication<\/a> if you\u2019re behind the wheel of a car. Also, research shows lack of sleep can alter appetite regulating hormones and metabolism, which can cause your body to have trouble processing glucose<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>10 Unexpected Things That Can Ruin Your Sleep<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Pause to Breathe
\n<\/b>\u201cMeditation can help decrease our over-activation and helps level, set or reset our physiological stress levels,\u201d says Dr. Gervais. In recent scientific studies, relaxing the mind with meditation has been shown to strengthen our attention<\/a> and increase productivity, along with other physical and psychological benefits<\/a>. Set aside at least two minutes a day to relax the body and focus on natural breathing. And if you need help getting started, try one of these eight meditation apps<\/a> that make it easy to unwind.<\/p>\n

5. Flex Your Mind
\n<\/b>Developing a resilient mind is essential to improving willpower. By accepting challenges and embracing change, says Dr. Gervais, we can best increase resiliency, or our ability to constructively respond in stressful circumstances. \u201cResiliency means being flexible and quickly bouncing back<\/a>,\u201d he says. The key is to guide your mind towards what you\u2019d like to achieve instead of dwelling on setbacks or past failures.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, talent without willpower will only go so far. Having the self-control to balance immediate wants and needs against long-term goals is easier said than done, but it\u2019s worth the effort. Developing strong willpower won\u2019t happen after meditating one time, just as being a marathon<\/a> runner won\u2019t happen after jogging around the block. Establishing purposeful habits takes commitment, and strong willpower will prepare you with the grit necessary to follow through with your goals.<\/p>\n

Plus, once you use your willpower to make your goals become habit, you\u2019ll be able to work towards achieving new milestones. Don\u2019t be another New Year\u2019s Resolution statistic; put that willpower to work today!<\/p>\n

Originally posted January 1, 2014. Updated January 2015.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Resolutions slipping already? Get the ball rolling again with these five tips for increasing your willpower \u2014 starting today. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":23052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,12],"tags":[104,103,341,371,285],"class_list":["post-23029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-mental-health","tag-goals","tag-motivation","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2mens-health","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23029"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23029\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}