what is willpower?
Skylar, this is my favorite definition of will power:
Will power is the ability to overcome laziness and procrastination. It is the ability to control or reject unnecessary or harmful impulses. It is the ability to arrive to a decision and follow it with perseverance until its successful accomplishment. It is the inner power that overcomes the desire to indulge in unnecessary and useless habits, and the inner strength that overcomes inner emotional and mental resistance for taking action. It is one of the corner stones of success, both spiritual and material.
To me, will power and self-discipline go hand in hand. To use your metaphor of a muscle becoming stronger the more you use it, I think you get it!
For some people, they are all excited about starting a program that they know will get them healthy and get them smaller. They just know that this is "The One" that's going to get them into those skinny jeans. But soon, their body and mind will let them know straight up that it doesn't like the new program and demands to go back to it's old ways. It starts DEMANDING that they stop at _______(Insert favorite fast food joint). Their inner "lazee azz" starts coming up with all kinds of excuses why they just can't get around to working out that day. Will power comes in when we let ourselves know that we have a job to complete and we are making a very precise decision to do whatever it takes to complete it. Along with self-discipline, we summon our inner strength to persevere through those difficult times and come out winning the battle. Like that muscle that you talk about being worked until it is toned, the more we exercise our will power, the more it becomes natural to us to do the right thing, and then it becomes second nature to us to do the right thing. The more we work it and the more battles we win, the easier this journey gets. Unfortunately, it doesn't get any shorter...but that's another whine!
My wish for all of us is that we become stronger and stronger everyday!
Mary
Will power is the ability to overcome laziness and procrastination. It is the ability to control or reject unnecessary or harmful impulses. It is the ability to arrive to a decision and follow it with perseverance until its successful accomplishment. It is the inner power that overcomes the desire to indulge in unnecessary and useless habits, and the inner strength that overcomes inner emotional and mental resistance for taking action. It is one of the corner stones of success, both spiritual and material.
To me, will power and self-discipline go hand in hand. To use your metaphor of a muscle becoming stronger the more you use it, I think you get it!
For some people, they are all excited about starting a program that they know will get them healthy and get them smaller. They just know that this is "The One" that's going to get them into those skinny jeans. But soon, their body and mind will let them know straight up that it doesn't like the new program and demands to go back to it's old ways. It starts DEMANDING that they stop at _______(Insert favorite fast food joint). Their inner "lazee azz" starts coming up with all kinds of excuses why they just can't get around to working out that day. Will power comes in when we let ourselves know that we have a job to complete and we are making a very precise decision to do whatever it takes to complete it. Along with self-discipline, we summon our inner strength to persevere through those difficult times and come out winning the battle. Like that muscle that you talk about being worked until it is toned, the more we exercise our will power, the more it becomes natural to us to do the right thing, and then it becomes second nature to us to do the right thing. The more we work it and the more battles we win, the easier this journey gets. Unfortunately, it doesn't get any shorter...but that's another whine!
My wish for all of us is that we become stronger and stronger everyday!
Mary
BigCityGirl
on 4/15/09 1:48 am - San Diego, CA
on 4/15/09 1:48 am - San Diego, CA
Mary, That's the best definition of willpower I have ever heard.
Surgeon: Joseph Grzeskiewicz, M.D., F.A.C.S.
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre
I really liked that definition. I sometimes struggle with will power but then I realize that I cannot sit back any longer and ruin my own life.
http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wYRfdyt/">
http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wYRfdyt/weight.png">>
Hi Sky!
Mary said: Will power is the ability to overcome laziness and procrastination. It is the ability to control or reject unnecessary or harmful impulses. It is the ability to arrive to a decision and follow it with perseverance until its successful accomplishment. It is the inner power that overcomes the desire to indulge in unnecessary and useless habits, and the inner strength that overcomes inner emotional and mental resistance for taking action. It is one of the corner stones of success, both spiritual and material.
and I most certainly agree with all of that...love it. I can only add that for me, willpower is fleeting and a very short term tool. On the other hand, discipline is a more fleshed out version of WP - more about the long term. I would not argue the fine points - the two terms do, as Miz Mary sez, go hand in hand and may be identical twins for all intents/purposes.
Willpower is useful to me as a red Flag warning - get back to the path this instant type of thing.
The greatest tool I think we have: Good Planning every day. I rely on my plan far more than willpower or discipline. I think my food/exercise plans for the day are based on discipline, but over time it has become exactly like being in AutoPilot! so, yes, I would yes whatever you call it: Good planning, WillPower, Discipline, it gets easier over time.
Why? All three in some combination deliver such positive outcomes. btw...not all those outcomes are necessarily about weight loss. It's become for me just as important to have:
great energy,
better skin,
good attitude,
improved self-image,
more proud feelings of my discipline levels,
superior immunity from colds/flu,
wonderful muscular tone,
awesome short bursts of power like this past week on the coast when I was kicking butt running with boyz under age 10 on the beach...
and so much more. Good post!!!!
Mary said: Will power is the ability to overcome laziness and procrastination. It is the ability to control or reject unnecessary or harmful impulses. It is the ability to arrive to a decision and follow it with perseverance until its successful accomplishment. It is the inner power that overcomes the desire to indulge in unnecessary and useless habits, and the inner strength that overcomes inner emotional and mental resistance for taking action. It is one of the corner stones of success, both spiritual and material.
and I most certainly agree with all of that...love it. I can only add that for me, willpower is fleeting and a very short term tool. On the other hand, discipline is a more fleshed out version of WP - more about the long term. I would not argue the fine points - the two terms do, as Miz Mary sez, go hand in hand and may be identical twins for all intents/purposes.
Willpower is useful to me as a red Flag warning - get back to the path this instant type of thing.
The greatest tool I think we have: Good Planning every day. I rely on my plan far more than willpower or discipline. I think my food/exercise plans for the day are based on discipline, but over time it has become exactly like being in AutoPilot! so, yes, I would yes whatever you call it: Good planning, WillPower, Discipline, it gets easier over time.
Why? All three in some combination deliver such positive outcomes. btw...not all those outcomes are necessarily about weight loss. It's become for me just as important to have:
great energy,
better skin,
good attitude,
improved self-image,
more proud feelings of my discipline levels,
superior immunity from colds/flu,
wonderful muscular tone,
awesome short bursts of power like this past week on the coast when I was kicking butt running with boyz under age 10 on the beach...
and so much more. Good post!!!!
"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not." ~Mark Twain
Most Active
Recent Topics
