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Yes, You Can Strengthen Your Willpower
If you keep trying to get more exercise
or lose weight, you’re not alone.
Research has found that successfully
changing a habit usually requires at least
five initial unsuccessful efforts. Fortunately,
you can bolster your willpower, which
some experts consider a renewable personal
energy resource.
Revving up your willpower could allow
you to accomplish a worthwhile goal,
such as exercising more, saving money for
an important purchase or getting the best
treatment for conditions such as migraines
and depression. Here’s how to give your
willpower a boost:
- Set an achievable goal. For example, you
might begin a commitment to exercise more
by simply walking with a friend for 10
minutes a day or parking your car farther
away in the parking lot.
- Reward yourself. After reaching a goal,
give yourself a reward, such as a massage,
book or CD.
- Do just one difficult thing at a time.
For example, people who try to quit smoking
while also controlling alcohol use and
overeating stack the odds against themselves, according to an article in the journal
American Psychologist.
- Anticipate minor slips. Plan for situations
in which you will be tempted to stop
exercising or eating healthfully, and determine
what you’ll do instead.
- Give yourself a mental boost. Keep
reminding yourself how well you are doing
with your efforts.
- Monitor your progress. Doing so helps
people manage their money, say experts.
It’s also a tactic used by successful dieters
and former drinkers and smokers.
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