Finding Inner Strength: Willpower's Gas Tank

Many moons ago I use to reflect on Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of willpower, thinking of it as an abstract entity lying within us that can be tapped for needed strength or resolve. The passage of time has exposed me to many triumphs and tragedies, all of which have tested my resolve and either left me momentarily hardened or in shambles. I've been tapping back into the concept of willpower, not as something abstract but rather trying to understand it in a more concrete manner.  When I fuel up my car, I understand what gasoline is and where to get it  - I understand I can run out and have some sense of economy regarding its use.  In a similar way, willpower seems to be consumed by the activities and restrictions I place on myself.  Yet I have no understanding of how it get used. If I'm on a diet, when is the ice cream cone going to be a trial on my soul? The struggle is real! 

I have a naturally impulsive personality, which is wrapped up into the fabric of my ADHD. Every day I resist snacks, TV, internet browsing and video games while having to will myself into activities that I don' always want to do like work, yoga, chores, mediation and exercise. And while I can tap into motivational memes and  words of wisdom, that isn't exactly a fuel gauge for willpower. 

I recently came across a great book called The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal.  Having recently read Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit, I found this particular  read to be almost complimentary, giving shape and meaning to willpower by referencing various scientific studies that help quantify  it's function within the mind. I won't get into all of that here, but what I particularly found helpful in McGonigal's work was that willpower is exercised in different areas of the brain and that it does indeed have limits, similar to that of a muscle being worked out to exhaustion. And, just like a muscle, the mind can strengthen it's resolve and push the limits of one's willpower  through  constant practice. As a runner, I "get" this, as I am use to pushing passed my own sense of fatigue and lack of motivation.  By forcing myself to continue, I find subsequent runs get easier and my mind is less likely to break from the routine- rather I settle into the pace and find a sense of peace under the intense physical effort. 

The Willpower Instinct gives the reader an understanding of what drives us to do or not do while imparting some tips to help in whatever goals are targeted. In no particular order, I'll outline some here for those who would like the highlights. 

1) Make mindfulness a daily routine. Use practices like yoga and meditation to help condition you cognitive functions into paying attention to your current state. Mindfulness is a tool to extend willpower. 

2) Imagine failure so that you can be prepared for how you might fail.

3) Set pragmatic goals, break them down into "I will" and "I will not" 

4) Eat a more plant-based diet, refrain from processed foods

5) "Surf the crave", when a craving comes along, tune in and acknowledge it and let it pass.  Know that it will pass in time, it takes the power away from giving in ( practice mindfulness)

6) Sleep is your friend, deprive your brain of it and you are more likely to give in to cravings. 

7) Willpower wains as the day goes on, so set you largest challenges in the morning. 

Oddly, I've seen bits and pieces of some of these suggestions in other books, including Duhigg's Power of Habit  and Cal Newport's Deep Work. All this academic repetitiveness on the topic of willpower clearly shows a trend that these techniques clearly have some main stream acceptance by those who practice in this space. I've been working on all of these areas and find that managing cravings to be the most rewarding, as you get a sense of timelessness while the urge hits. Understanding that the intensity of desire is temporary allows you to wait out cravings and exercise willpower without heavy exertion. In other words, you don' t have to fight cravings if you can simply wait them out.