How To Improve Willpower

How To Improve Willpower

Do you want to know how to improve willpower?

If you do, then you are not alone.

Staying disciplined and exhibiting self-restraint is not something everybody can do.

Most people find this difficult because they do not have the strength to withstand and overcome challenges and distractions.

These people lack strong willpower.

This should not be you, as you need strong willpower to perservere and succeed in your career, business, and personal life.

We want you to be the best you can be.

Hence, we will share with you some amazing tips on how to improve your willpower.

However, before that, we will be looking at some matters related to willpower.

Having good knowledge of these things will better your chances of having improved and stronger willpower.

So, let us begin…

What Is Willpower? – How to Improve Willpower

How do I strengthen my willpower and self discipline

Willpower is a term used to refer to our strength of mind or will to stay committed and carry out our plans, wishes, or decisions.

It is said to be a response from the body and brain that gives us the endurance and energy to handle challenges, preserve, and tolerate conflict and stress.

Willpower is just like muscles.

It has to be trained, maintained, and developed.

Characteristics of Strong-willed People – How to Improve Willpower

Why is my willpower so weak

People who have strong willpower are said to be “strong-willed”.

These people have worked on their willpower, to the point that it is strong enough to help them withstand and overcome several challenges and setbacks, and succeed.

We will share some of their character traits.

This will help you to better understand what it entails to have improved willpower.

So, below are the characteristics of strong-willed people:

They Have Non-negotiable Values

Values are important to everybody.

They determine what a person will be willing to do and not do.

Most people tend to believe that they cannot trade their values for other things.

However, several people have failed to stand by their values when faced with a challenging situation.

The same cannot be said about strong-willed people,

These people hold onto their values regardless of how they are pushed, bullied, or persuaded.

They are Decisive – How to Improve Willpower

Strong-willed people know who they are, and what they want.

As a result, they are more decisive than other people.

Also, these people ensure that they stick to their decisions.

They do not allow someone else to make their decisions for them because they know that they will be the ones to face the outcome and not other people.

They Do Not Fear Rejection

Most people fear being rejected because of several reasons.

However, the same cannot be said of strong-willed people.

Yes, rejection hurts them too, but they are not scared of it.

They rather speak their mind, than keep quiet because they do not want to be rejected.

These people do not allow rejection or disappointment to kill their spirit.

Rather, they use it to build their willpower.

They Control Their Reactions – How to Improve Willpower

When upsetting or surprising situations occur, strong-willed people do not lash out.

They might feel the need to react emotionally to those situations, but they are strong enough to keep their emotion in check.

These people know that if they do not control themselves, they could worsen the situation.

This helps them to handle the situation better.

They Push Themselves to Excel Mentally and Physically

Strong-willed people know their weaknesses and strengths.

They know how far they can go.

However, they do not let this stop them from doing better.

These people challenge themselves to do more and excel both mentally and physically.

They push themselves to learn new language or skills, exercise, and care for themselves.

They are Highly Self-Sufficient – How to Improve Willpower

Strong-willed people are highly self-sufficient.

They do not have any issues receiving or accepting help from others.

However, they know how to handle themselves without external help.

They do not wait for others before doing what they need to do something.

As a result, other people tend to turn to them for help during difficult situations or crises.

People around them know them to be disciplined and capable of handling issues.

They Have a Growth Mindset

As much as they hold their values firm, these people are open to other views.

They have a growth mindset that allows them to focus on different possibilities, better ideas, and future opportunities.

These people do not seek familiarity and safety.

Rather, they are ready to take risks and grow.

They do not let past occurrences dictate or define the future.

When mistakes happen, they learn from them and move on.

They Do Not Pass Blame – How to Improve Willpower

Strong-willed people know that passing blame does not change situations or help one get their desired results.

Hence, they stay away from blaming people even in situations where the blame is noticeable.

Instead of revelling in it, they state the fact and move on to seeking a solution to the situation.

They Do Not Need Approval

Some people need other people’s validation to feel good about doing something.

However, strong-willed people do not need or wait for the approval of people to do what they want.

They do what they want and do not have any issues if it is appreciated or not.

They are Very Patient – How to Improve Willpower

Strong-willed people are very patient.

They know that when chasing a goal it cannot be achieved overnight.

These people believe that you need to be patient and give up some things to achieve your goal.

So, they bid their time, avoid instant gratification, and do what they need to do to ensure that they get what they are after.

Benefits of Being Strong-Willed – How to Improve Willpower

How do you master self-control

We just discussed some character traits of strong-willed people.

So, by now, we are hoping that you understand what it means to possess strong willpower.

As we earlier said, this can only be attained when you develop, train, and, maintain your willpower.

We also said we will share amazing tips on how to do so.

However, before we get to that, we will briefly be looking at some benefits of being strong-willed.

It Can Help to Improve Your Relationships

When you have strong willpower, it will help you to control your emotions better.

This will help you to avoid lashing out when upsetting situations occur.

As a result, you will handle situations better.

In your relationships, you will avoid doing things that will upset others, but also remain true to yourself.

You will be patient with people, and build and grow your relationships.

In other words, when you are strong-willed, you will have better relationships with people around you.

It Boosts Your Motivation – How to Improve Willpower

Have you ever felt less motivated but instead of stopping your work, you kept going?

If you have, you will understand what we are about to say better.

Motivation, self-discipline, and willpower work hand-in-hand.

When your motivation is low, self-discipline and willpower can keep you going till your motivation pick up again.

Willpower says yes when your motivation says no.

Eventually, when you keep pushing, you will get motivated to work.

It is like a force that propels you to keep going and eventually reminds you of your reason to keep going.

In other words, when you are strong-willed it helps to boost your motivation.

Check here to discover 7 surefire way to boost employee morale.

 It Can Help You to Achieve Your Goals

Several people are unable to achieve their goals because they are unable to resist temptation and give in to instant gratification.

They are not strong enough to put in those long hours and effort and make sacrifices.

These people postpone and procrastinate a lot.

As a result, they hardly get their desired results.

This however is not the case for strong-willed people.

In other words, when you are strong-willed, you will resist and avoid temptation better, postpone less, and be more productive.

All of which will help you to achieve your goals.

It can Help You Become a Better Version of Yourself – How to Improve Willpower

When you have strong willpower, you will do things and make decisions that will help you grow.

You will push and challenge yourself to do better, stand up for yourself, do things that make you happy, and effectively pursue your goals.

Every time you achieve a goal, it will improve your confidence in yourself.

In other words, when you are strong-willed, you will build on yourself and frequently work to become a better version of yourself.

Reduces Stress

Stress can occur due to various reasons.

However, one major reason for stress is the inability to complete your work or achieve a goal.

In other words, when you struggle to perform tasks and achieve goals will stress you when you have little time left.

Strong-willed people understand this, so they prioritize, focus, and make use of their time to effectively perform their tasks.

As a result, they finish in time and have time to rest.

This helps to keep stress at bay.

Factors That Can Deplete Your Willpower – How to Improve Willpower

What to do if you have no willpower

We earlier likened willpower to muscles.

The more you train it the better it will become.

As true as this is, you also need to understand that willpower is also a resource that we tap into to stay focused and disciplined.

Just like any other resource, willpower can be depleted.

When your willpower gets depleted, it can make you weak to resist certain temptations.

If you let it keep declining, you will fall into those habits that your willpower helps you to stand against.

So, as you build your willpower, you also need to be careful with the way you use it and watch your fatigue level.

Some certain factors can deplete your willpower when you let them.

These factors include:

  • Fear
  • Doing tasks or activities you don’t enjoy
  • The need to please or impress people
  • Stress
  • Distractions and temptations
  • Impulses

When you can effectively deal with these factors, the chances of getting your willpower depleted will be less.

Tips on How to Improve Willpower

How can I be consistent and disciplined

We have discussed the characteristics of strong-willed people, and also the benefits of being strong-willed.

We also briefly looked at some factors that can deplete willpower.

Remember not to take these factors lightly, as they can make you fall back into those habits you had before building your willpower.

Since you now have a better understanding of what willpower is all about, we will now share with you some amazing tips that will help make you a strong-willed individual.

Mind you, these tips cannot work if you do not practice them.

Remember, willpower is likened to muscles which you need to build regularly to get your desired results

So, ensure that you practice the following tips regularly:

1. Sleep Well

As we earlier established, the body and the brain produce willpower as a response to things and situations.

When your brain and body are weak, then your chance of being strong-willed will be weak.

One way to beat this is to sleep.

Sleep provides a better functioning condition for your brain.

Also, it helps the body rest.

So, ensure that you sleep regularly and well.

The adult human body requires 7-8 hours of sleep every day to function properly.

Therefore, ensure that you have this amount of sleep.

Also, during the day taking power naps will help your body utilize the glucose it has better.

2. Do Not Snooze – How to Improve Willpower

Several times we set alarms to wake us up.

However, when that alarm rings, we are often tempted to snooze or extend the time.

When this happens, it destabilizes the brain.

Your brain will start getting ready to sleep back only for it to be disturbed again.

If you start your day like that you will be starting with diminished willpower.

So, to avoid this, you need to learn to get up from bed when your alarm rings the first time.

Yes, it can be tempting to snooze, but remember that you have to resist temptation.

Not snoozing or extending your alarm is one right step toward strengthening your willpower for the day.

3. Practice Mindful Meditation

Your mind is an important aspect of being strong-willed.

It needs to be fed and refreshed.

Practicing mindful meditation is one way to ensure this.

It helps to improve your focus, attention, self-awareness, stress management, and of course your willpower.

The more you practice it the more your self-awareness will build up.

This will help you to avoid making impulsive decisions.

Also, the part of your brain that provides willpower as a response will get stronger and move engaged.

So, make it a habit of practicing mindful meditation every day.

4. Develop Powerful Habits – How to Improve Willpower

Developing powerful or good habits can help you while working to improve your willpower.

It does not have to be a big change or habit.

Rather, it can be something as simple as making your bed.

Habits like that usually have positive and powerful impacts on your willpower.

This is because small habits help to build self-control and self-discipline that can spread to other aspects of your life. 

 5. Feed Well

Your brain is what you use in making your decisions, and it also provides you with the needed willpower to take action and make good decisions.

However, when your brain is not fed well, then you will have issues being a strong-willed person.

So, ensure you feed well; do not skip your meals.

6. Reward Yourself – How to Improve Willpower

Rewards go a long way in motivating and inspiring people.

It can also be used to strengthen your willpower.

The best way to use rewards to boost your willpower is to choose a reward ahead of time.

For example, let us assume your exercise routine for the next day is very vigorous.

You dread the thought of doing it and lack the willpower; you might have even considered not doing it, but you need it.

In this scenario, what you need is the willpower to do the exercise regardless of how you are feeling.

Now, still assume you promised to get yourself something that you have wanted for a while if you perform the exercise well.

You will notice that this single promise will increase your willpower to perform that exercise.

So, consider using this method when your willpower is low, and it will boost it up.

 7. Avoid Temptation

We earlier said willpower is a resource that can be depleted when overused and exercised.

So, the best way to keep your willpower strong and full in supply is to exercise self-control.

Self-control is mostly all about staying away from those things and situations that will require willpower to handle.

When you know that something is bad for you, then steer clear of it.

If you do this, you will not have to exercise your willpower every time.

This will help to strengthen your willpower.

Conclusion on How to Improve Willpower

What causes less discipline

Strong willpower is not something everybody has.

However, it is something that everybody needs.

It ensures that you do not make impulsive decisions, helps you to resist temptations and stay focused, and enable you to persevere till you achieve your goals.

In other words, it is an ingredient for success.

So, if you lack strong willpower, then you need to work to get it.

Just like the muscles, you can build and improve your willpower.

In this article, we have shared amazing tips on how to do this.

So, we advise you to take advantage of them today!