You’ve been there. I most definitely have. New Year’s resolutions were abandoned by February. Fitness goals derailed by donuts. Work projects procrastinated until the eleventh hour. Each time, you’ve blamed your lack of willpower. Possibly willpower isn’t the hero you thought it was?
Benjamin Hardy, organizational psychologist, and bestselling author drops a truth bomb: willpower is a fickle friend. It’s not an infinite resource but a muscle that fatigues faster than you can say, “Just one more cookie.”
A study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that our self-control deteriorates throughout the day. By evening, we’re more likely to binge-watch Netflix than want to exercise. Sound familiar?
So, what’s the secret sauce of sustainable change?
- Environment is king: Surround yourself with success cues.
- Habits trump heroics: Small, consistent actions beat sporadic bursts of motivation.
- Systems over struggle: Design your life to make good choices the default.
As James Clear quips, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
We should cease white-knuckling our way through change and instead start designing a life where willpower is a bonus, not a crutch. It begins with a few simple steps: creating an environment for you to flourish, developing a practice within which you can thrive, and altering patterns of habits that make it all second nature.
Our potential for transformation is limitless. It’s a matter of what do you want and what do you choose. One thing we should do is stop relying on willpower and instead start outsmarting it.
