It's a brand new year, and here we all are with our resolutions, committed to bigger, better, faster, more; to onward and upward, or to turning it around. Following through on those resolutions is not easy, though. There are upfront costs to be paid, and benefits that are at least somewhat deferred. That's why we call them resolutions; they require resolve. But some people seem to have tons of self-control. How do they do it? And how can we mere mortals increase the odds that we'll stick to our goals?
In Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney argue that one of the most important things you can do is ration your resolve. On any given day, you have a limited amount of willpower at your disposal. If you have to resist a lot of urges, you will deplete your daily store of resolve that much sooner. Surprisingly, making decisions also draws on the same kind of mental energy required to resist temptations. "Virtually no one has a gut-level sense of just how tiring it is to decide," according to the authors. The more decisions you have to make, therefore, the less energy you'll have left over for self-discipline.
The research shows that people who seem to have a lot of self-control actually spend less time resisting urges. Instead, they set up their lives in such a way that they are not constantly faced with temptations, so they don't drain their willpower as quickly. They also tend to eat healthful food, get enough sleep, keep a tidy workspace, keep track of their progress, and reward themselves often. And once you've formed a good habit, it becomes almost automatic, so keeping it up requires a lot less willpower.
Some people argue that resolutions are doomed to fail, or even that they prevent us from enjoying the present. But success is not unrealistic, especially if we're armed with some knowledge about human psychology, and having goals does not require us to be exclusively future-oriented. The payoff for rationing your resolve is simply more control over your life, and so a life closer to the one you want to live.
The research shows that people who seem to have a lot of self-control actually spend less time resisting urges. Instead, they set up their lives in such a way that they are not constantly faced with temptations, so they don't drain their willpower as quickly. They also tend to eat healthful food, get enough sleep, keep a tidy workspace, keep track of their progress, and reward themselves often. And once you've formed a good habit, it becomes almost automatic, so keeping it up requires a lot less willpower.
Some people argue that resolutions are doomed to fail, or even that they prevent us from enjoying the present. But success is not unrealistic, especially if we're armed with some knowledge about human psychology, and having goals does not require us to be exclusively future-oriented. The payoff for rationing your resolve is simply more control over your life, and so a life closer to the one you want to live.