If it happens to you a lot to give up on your dreams because you think you can’t handle all the stress you may face in order to accomplish them, well, maybe that’s a sign you need to start training your willpower right away. Sometimes it’s pretty hard to gather your strength and keep going ‘cos you may feel that all your efforts are in vain and that you’ll never get to where you want to. This type of thinking is in fact dysfunctional and in the long term, it can cause you quite a lot of problems. In order to prevent that, I recommend you to start training your willpower right away and you can do that by using the tips in this article.
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1. Celebrate Your Successes
The most important thing you need to keep in mind when it comes to training your willpower is to always celebrate your successes, no matter how small or insignificant they might seem. We always wanna achieve a lot of great things with as little effort as possible. Well, that’s just not realistic because that happens quite rarely and we can’t wait all our lives for a that kind of occasion to be happy. You will be much more motivated to keep going when it seems impossible, if you cherish every little step you take.
2. Use Your Non-Dominant Hand
A very simple exercise you can do if you want to train your willpower, an exercise that offers quite amazing results in very little time, consists of using your non-dominant hand for everyday activities like eating, brushing your teeth, holding your coffee cup or if you’re brave and patient enough, even writing. Just try it! You will surely be amazed by the results.
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3. Sit up Straight
I know this may sound a little funny, but it’s actually true; by sitting up straight you can train your willpower. A lot of research has shown that the people who were consciously working on improving their posture and who were always trying to sit up straight, did better on some self-control tests. So, I think this method is really worth a shot; after all, you’ve got nothing to lose.
4. Meditate
Another great way to boost your willpower that a lot of people use quite often is, of course, meditation. You can meditate for at least 5 minutes every day. Just sit up straight, focus your entire attention on your breathing and when you notice that your mind has started wandering, just bring your attention back to your breathing. By doing this, you will build both your willpower and your self-control.
5. Make a Plan
You may have to face a lot of temptations along the way and it’s extremely important to know how to deal with them before they can turn into real problems. If you’re trying to get a new job, get a good grade on your exam or lose 5 pounds, always make a plan. Remember to also make a plan for what will you do when things go wrong, so you will always have other options.
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6. One Step at a Time
Whenever you’re starting a project or you’re following a big dream and you have a lot of tasks to complete, just make sure you take it one step at a time. If you wanna give up an old habit that doesn’t seem to go away (like smoking), don’t hurry, just learn to be patient and focus on one small thing at a time. After you’ve reached your goal, carry on and work on accomplishing the other things you have in mind.
7. Lay off the Cocktails
I know you may think that a cocktail or a glass of wine will help you focus much better and will also help you follow your goals no matter what, but that’s actually not true. Studies have shown that in fact, alcohol lowers your blood glucose, and this can dramatically weaken your willpower. Also, alcohol can reduce self-awareness, and we actually need self-awareness to bring us back to our goals.
A lot of psychologists see willpower just like a muscle that can be strengthen by practicing different techniques. What do you do to boost your willpower? Please share your tips with me in the comments section!
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