Many people believe that willpower is fixed and that humans are less capable of controlling themselves and their destinies.

We can find others who have more willpower and the ability to control emotions and desires, so you don’t stop eating someone who was fat a while ago, but now he has an amazing athletic body. , and this is just one example.

What is willpower and how to develop it?

Psychologists define willpower as the ability to avoid short-term temptations, control oneself and behavior, and override unwanted thoughts, feelings, or impulses. People often use the word “will” when talking about behaviors that require a great deal of mental or physical effort, such as quitting smoking, exercising regularly, or saving money for a specific goal. These behavioral changes involve delaying immediate gratification in order to achieve long-term ones. Term goals, step by step For the American Psychological Association(APA).

People use a variety of terms, including discipline, determination, willpower, grit, and grit. Some researchers believe that the ability to “self-control” has genetic causes, but it’s also a skill you can strengthen with practice.

And “self-control” is an aspect of what scientists call an individual’s “executive function,” a set of skills that help people plan, monitor, and achieve their goals, as the site “Free Will Mind” puts it. (Very good mind)

However, are there strategies based on reliable scientific studies that can develop and strengthen our will as humans?

Your way to boost your morale

Our capacity for self-control and mental focus is shaped by our “mindsets,” a set of beliefs that determine how you perceive yourself and the world around you. This means that what you believe about yourself influences your success or failure. Scientific studies point to powerful strategies for building greater willpower, with huge benefits for your health, productivity, and happiness.BBC)

Battery Theory (Ego Depletion)

Until recently, the prevailing “psychological theory” suggested that willpower is like a battery. You can get through the day, but every time you have to control your thoughts, feelings, or behavior, you drain some of that battery. Without an opportunity to rest and recharge, this energy is dangerously depleted, making it very difficult to maintain your patience and focus and resist the temptations that come your way.

But a scientific study by psychologist Professor Veronica Job questioned the foundation of this theory, and provided intriguing evidence that “ego depletion,” or battery, depends on people’s core beliefs.

Job proved that those who have resisted strong temptation are those who have the power to resist more temptation, because willpower fuels itself and does not tire even after exhausting mental efforts, because you can do more of it, that is, you have a strong personality, you have an “unlimited” view of willpower, therefore strong The first strategy for building desire is to resist the first temptation. This will give you extra strength to resist the second temptation.

Jobe further demonstrated that subjects’ perceptions of willpower were self-fulfilling prophecies: “If they believe that their fortitude is easily weakened, their ability to resist temptation and distraction soon fades; but if they believe, their fortitude feeds on itself.” unlimited and inexhaustible.”

And found Another study A professor of psychology at the University of the Fraser Valley, Dr. Joe Francis found that people with an “extroverted mindset” were more adept at staying disciplined and achieving the goals they set for themselves.

Goal setting

To strengthen your will, you need to set a specific goal that you want to achieve, have a specific and clear goal and understand the purpose behind it; They will greatly help you gain momentum and focus on long-term progress. Also, breaking a long-term goal into smaller parts (sub-goals) can help people feel a sense of accomplishment as they complete each step. For example, if you are a heavy smoker and want to quit smoking, you can set a plan to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke each day if you want to quit smoking completely after 3 months. As reported by the site “Medical News Today” (Medical news today)

change the situation

If the current circumstances you are in are not appropriate, this involves changing the circumstances around the goal you want to achieve:

• Change location: Some of the places you are in may not be ideal for achieving your goals, for example, if your goal is to pass an exam, the library is a better place to study than at home.
• Changing the current context: If it is not possible to change the site, some small changes can help to improve the current site. For example, one can organize one’s workspace or play music to help one focus on studies or work.
• To reduce distractions: Removing distractions from a person’s vision or thinking helps them focus on their goal.
• Set a target timeframe: Setting a deadline for achieving the goal and sticking to it, assuring yourself that you will receive a special reward if you achieve it will help strengthen your willpower, for example, stop smoking completely within 3 months with the reward of a pleasant trip. A country you’ve always wanted to visit.
• Monitor progress by focusing on: This strategy involves focusing on the task or goal you want to achieve and not focusing on anything else unrelated to the goal. To track your progress towards the goal and track how much you are achieving each day, you can use a journal in which you can record how much progress you make each day.

Finally, the ability to control ourselves and control our desires and instincts is the best way to create a strong and unshakable will, or as Plato says, “The first and best victory is self-victory.”