What is willpower?
Willpower is the inner energy of a person, which allows you to consciously activate and direct efforts to solve certain problems and implement plans, regardless of the presence of strength and desire to work .
The main purpose of willpower is to overcome a person’s internal obstacles on the way to his goal. It acts as the ability of the individual to take control of his own behavior with a conscious effort and direct all his efforts to solving a certain issue, overcoming possible obstacles on the way. It is for this reason that people who are able to overcome difficult life circumstances and all kinds of obstacles are called strong-willed or people with a strong will.
Therefore, strong-willed people can consciously awaken, concentrate and direct their own inner resources, forcing themselves to move in the direction they need. Thus, willpower is understood as the conscious desire of the individual at the right moment and at the right time to activate his internal energy to solve a specific task .
The main components of willpower
The experts studying the described phenomenon have identified seven main components that form willpower. These include:
- Self-discipline , without which it is impossible to achieve any serious results, even in simple matters. The development of willpower contributes to the formation of this quality, which helps to correctly prioritize and take control of your own actions and thoughts;
- Persistence , since the path to the goal requires finding ways to achieve it, and only persistent people will find them;
- Courage , i.e. the ability to take decisive action at the right time, as well as the ability to take risks or refuse unnecessary risks in time;
- Faith , in this case – faith in yourself and your own strength. If a person is firmly convinced of the favorable outcome of his undertaking, then it will be easier for him to achieve a positive result;
- Desires , i.e. those goals to the realization of which a person seeks. The goal must justify the resources spent on its implementation, then the final result will be expected and desired;
- Ability to endure , since the implementation of a plan, especially a large-scale one, requires a lot of patience;
- Independence – is one of the most important character traits of a strong-willed person. An independent person knows how to make decisions and take responsibility without waiting for ready-made decisions from strangers.
All these factors together form a high level of willpower in a person.
How is the lack of willpower manifested?
Is it possible to find out if you are a strong-willed person ? Yes, but for this you need to honestly answer yourself a few questions:
- have you ever put off for later or done urgently important matters?
- have you had to justify failure to fulfill your duties by lack of time or other excuses?
- are most of your problems still unsolved?
- you are often distracted from business to various trifles, such as computer games, communication on social networks or watching TV shows?
- Do you periodically fail to fulfill your promises to yourself?
If you answered yes to all or almost all of the above questions, then you can do a little work on developing strength will.
How to develop willpower?
So, let’s go directly to the development of willpower. Fortunately, this character trait is not innate, but amenable to development, in particular, there are seven fairly simple ways to develop this quality:
1. Set specific goals
To channel willpower to achieve what you want, you need to firmly decide what you want. In cases where the goals set are solid and serious (for example, mastering a foreign language or a new profession), it makes sense to draw up a detailed plan with specific steps and time frames, and then consistently and clearly follow each point.
It is not worth dissipating forces, setting several goals at once, there is simply not enough strength to complete them. To begin with, it is better to choose one specific goal, the achievement of which will give you self-confidence and motivate you to new achievements.
Read the same: how to set goals correctly?
2. Try to follow the plan clearly willpower. Such cases include daily washing of dishes or monthly cleaning of the computer from unnecessary files. By accustoming yourself to follow a clear daily routine and solve all the issues planned for a certain period on time, you can easily move on to the implementation of other, more significant ideas.
3. Don’t waste your time TV talk shows, etc. Do not waste your irrevocable time in vain, devote your leisure time to educational activities, for example, reading educational or fictional literature, visiting museums and exhibitions, learning foreign languages or improving your own professional skills and qualities.
4. Keep promises
You should not give out unfulfillable promises, but after promising someone to do something, keep the promise on time. In addition, a promise, even made to yourself, will give you additional motivation and help you get through a certain task faster, be it housework or a more meaningful activity. No need to condemn yourself in cases when you fail to fulfill the promise in the allotted period, try again and everything will work out.
5. Maintain order around
Maintaining order is one of the best ways to develop willpower. Clean your home regularly, wash the dishes after meals, and place your clothes only in the designated areas. Similarly, you must behave in the workplace, where each item, tool or stationery must take its place. In addition, do not forget to clean up your home and work computers, promptly getting rid of unnecessary files, letters and programs.
6. Give up the habit of postponing things for “later”
It is impossible to develop willpower without the desire to do anything. Therefore, you need to overcome laziness and take action. Try to complete all current affairs on time, without putting anything on the back burner, act while you have the opportunity to act. Otherwise, postponing things for “later” will put pressure on you, which is fraught with stress and even depression.
Read the same: how to stop postponing things?
7. Go in for sports
Moderate physical activity will be an excellent help for the development of willpower, because playing sports not only disciplines, but also has a positive effect on health and a person’s appearance, help to raise their own self-esteem. Start your workouts with light loads, and only then move on to longer and more serious activities. If you don’t have time to go to the gym, train at home. Improving physical fitness and general well-being will have a positive effect on the growth of your internal energy, and with it – on the development of willpower.
Conclusion
Anyone a person has a cherished dream that he sincerely wishes to fulfill. However, translating the desired into reality requires the application of purposeful and long-term efforts, which is fraught with difficulties and obstacles, which many are simply afraid to overcome, which is why their dreams remain dreams. But by developing and developing your willpower, you can achieve the desired results by making your dreams come true.
