The Willpower Mystery We all know the feeling.

Some days, you have a project you know you need to work on, but find it impossible to summon the energy needed to close your e-mail and get to work. It seems so simple. Click the X in the corner. Open the word processor document. Start typing. But you might as well be considering knocking off a quick triathalon. Your leaden, sluggish, no-motivation mood overwhelms. On other occasions, however, you welcome the challenge. Time to work? No problem! What gives? Dr. Roy Baumeister, a psychologist from Florida State University, has been studying this question for over a decade. In a recent paper, published in the Journal of Current Directions in Psychological Science, Baumeister reviews what his work, and similar studies by others, have revealed about that elusive trait we call self-control. In this post, I summarize the main findings of this research and conclude with some practical tips for re-aligning your daily habits to leverage the conclusions. The Strength Model of Self-Control In a seminal 1994 paper, Baumeister introduced a hypothesis that overturned the established thinking on willpower. He proposed that self-control might depend on a limited resource a resource that, like a muscle, depletes during repeated, continuous use. Up to this point, most scientists assumed that self-control was a behavioral mode; a cognitive schema activated under certain conditions and not under others. This approach, for example, might blame fear of failure for your procrastination. The mental loop of failing prevents the juke box of your mind from flipping over to that ever-popular record: productive work. Baumeister disagreed. And he challenged this notion with a simple experiment: 1. Two groups are given a task. The first group gets a task that requires self-control (e.g., memorizing sequences of numbers). The second group gets a neutral task. 2. Next, both groups are given a task that requires self-control. Their performance is measured. According to the cognitive schema hypothesis, the first group should have the appropriate scheme activated in the first phase and therefore perform better in the second phase. In the experiment, however, the opposite occurred. The group that performed a neutral task in the first phase outperformed the other group in the second phase. This fit Baumeisters theory. The first group had depleted a resource that the second group did not.

Chocolate, Radishes, and Ego Depletion Subsequent experiments reinforced this limited resource hypothesis for a variety of traits related to self-control. One of the most interesting studies presented three groups with a plate full of both chocolate and radishes. The first group was told only to eat the radishes. The second group was told to eat chocolate. The third was allowed to eat whatever they wanted. Next, they were all given an unsolvable task. The radish group gave up after around 8 minutes. The chocolate and no rules groups, on the other hand, both lasted closer to 20 minutes. The term ego depletion was coined to describe this state of diminished resources following exertion of self-control. Further experiments helped rule out other potential contributing factors. Through careful controls, for example, researchers were able to show that these depletion effects did not come simply from subjects getting bored with the task or developing a belief that they were not good at it. No matter what angle they attacked it from, the same conclusion arose: Self-control is a limited resource. After a while, your tanks will run empty, like a marathoners muscles failing in the 20th mile. This cannot be avoided. Improving Ego Depletion Even though ego depletion is a reality, you shouldnt give up hope. Following our athlete analogy, through practice and control over your environment you can still work to reduce and delay these effects to a significant degree. Here are the strategies that Baumeister, and others, have found to be effective: 1. Just as exercise can make muscles stronger, there are signs that regular exertions of self-control can improve willpower strength. Studies show, for example, that introducing a small number of targeted, regular self-control activities in your daily routine such as spending money or exercise can generate improvements in unrelated areas such as studying and household chores. 2. When people expect to have to exert self-control later, they will curtail current performance more severely. If you spread work out over more days, youll be able to accomplish more in each sitting. 3. People can exert self-control despite ego depletion if the stakes are high enough. This is how you are able to get through those all-nighters. However: there are levels of depletion beyond which people may be unable to control themselvesdespite whats at stake. Which is why the paper you finish at 4 am sucks something fierce.

In addition, the following activities or behaviors have also been shown to to moderate or counteract the effects of ego depletion: 1. 2. 3. 4. Being in a state of positive emotion such as humor. Having a detailed plan before beginning the task. Cash incentives. Replenishing glucose. (Subjects given lemonade did better than those given an identical tasting, sugar-free substitute.)

The Implications for You The main conclusion I draw from these analyses: you must treat your daily work like a competitive athletic event. Your self-control is a muscle. If you dont tend to it through rigorous training and careful schedules of use, youll perform well below your potential. The following practical tips can help you re-align your work habits to this reality: 1. Spread out your work. Marathon sessions, spread over many consecutive hours, will prove impossible to sustain unless you have a looming deadline. If you want to avoid falling into a pattern of doing all of your work in panicked all-nighters, start early and work in small chunks. 2. Have a plan. The more specific your plan the easier it will be to finish the task. Never again head off to the library with only the vague intention to study. 3. Practice self-control throughout the day. Many students balked at my advice to make your bed in my first book. But there was, it seems, a method to my madness. The more daily practice you get with exerting small doses of selfcontrol from waking up at a regular time to getting to the gym the easier it will be to summon your willpower during important projects. 4. Eat good meals. You might feel heroic skipping breakfast or pushing through with your work until 9 before grabbing dinner, but the lack of food energy will tank your ability to actually accomplish hard work during these times. Taking 20 minutes to grab an energy-rich meal might save you hours on your total workload. Conclusion In the final accounting, the best advice is to pay attention to your own body. Observe when you get tired and when you are able to get a lot done. Experiment with your habits in an effort to increase the time you spend in the latter state. Above all, this research should make one thing clear: the worst strategy is to have none at all. If you work only when you feel like it, or deadlines demand, and just let the day roll past, youre likely to spend more time than youd like battling an empty willpower reserve.

Get it Done: 20 Tips & 20 Links to Eliminate Procrastination

There are many writers out there who write about productivity. But how many readers are there who know when to stop reading about productivity and start being productive? I did a (very) brief search for recent blog posts about procrastination. Theres so much written about it that the mind boggles. You could spend a lifetime wasting time reading about the many ways you can stop wasting time! So heres a post with lots of tips and loads of links on the subject, which means you neednt realistically look elsewhere. After youve read this lot, its time to DO. Below, I present 20 quick tips to help you break out of the annoying habit of putting things off. They form an introduction to the next part of the post Which consists of links to 20 posts related to banishing procrastination. The short tips provide a taster, the posts provide an in-depth guide to getting it done. A vast amount of reading. Yes, they are good articles, but dont read them just to put off what you should be doing! The tips and links only bring you closer to where you want to be. If you actually want to reach your destination, get into the driving seat and DRIVE! Good luck.

20 Tips to Get Rid of Procrastination

1. Dont try to do all your work in one go youll get bored and cranky and youll want to find other things to spend your time on; 2. Make a time plan; 3. Listen to yourself; 4. Be honest with yourself 5. and NO excuses! 6. Get the initial research/workings/readings out of the way first; 7. Focus on chunks, rather than the whole thing; 8. Prioritise; 9. Dont look at the end point at the beginning If you hope to be finished as soon as youve started, youll only become overwhelmed and tired;

10. Work in frequent bursts, taking frequent breaks too; 11. Eliminate distractions; 12. Stay energised; 13. Dont wait until theres not enough timestart when theres plenty; 14. Many distractions are psychological they wouldnt be distractions if you didnt have a more important task at hand; 15. When overwhelmed by tasks, leave anything that can wait until tomorrowuntil tomorrow; 16. Set specifics define your activities, dont leave them vague; 17. Link your work and play. Bring everything together (i.e. planning isnt just for one task, and its not just limited to work with deadlines); 18. Start a ritual to your day to keep you focused by default; 19. Understand your reasons for completing a task and ask why its important; 20. Stop looking for a wand to make everything finish by magicyoure not Harry Potter!

20 Ways to Get Mentally Tough

(Excerpt from Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else) 1. When you face a setback, think of it as a defining moment that will lead to a future accomplishment. 2. When you encounter adversity, remember, the best dont just face adversity; they embrace it, knowing its not a dead end but a detour to something greater and better. 3. When you face negative people, know that the key to life is to stay positive in the face of negativity, not in the absence of it. After all, everyone will have to overcome negativity to define themselves and create their success. 4. When you face the naysayers, remember the people who believed in you and spoke positive words to you. 5. When you face critics, remember to tune them out and focus only on being the best you can be. 6. When you wake up in the morning, take a morning walk of gratitude and prayer. It will create a fertile mind ready for success. 7. When you fear, trust. Let your faith be greater than your doubt. 8. When you fail, find the lesson in it, and then recall a time when you have succeeded. 9. When you head into battle, visualize success. 10. When you are thinking about the past or worrying about the future, instead focus your energy on the present moment. The now is where your power is the greatest.

11. When you want to complain, instead identify a solution. 12. When your own self-doubt crowds your mind, weed it and replace it with positive thoughts and positive self-talk. 13. When you feel distracted, focus on your breathing, observe your surroundings, clear your mind, and get into The Zone. The Zone is not a random event. It can be created. 14. When you feel all is impossible, know that with God all things are possible. 15. When you feel alone, think of all the people who have helped you along the way and who love and support you now. 16. When you feel lost, pray for guidance. 17. When you are tired and drained, remember to never, never, never give up. Finish Strong in everything you do. 18. When you feel like you cant do it, know that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength. 19. When you feel like your situation is beyond your control, pray and surrender. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you cant. 20. When youre in a high-pressure situation and the game is on the line, and everyone is watching you, remember to smile, have fun, and enjoy it. Life is short; you only live once. You have nothing to lose. Seize the moment. HOW TO BE MENTALLY STRONG:When faced with difficult circumstances, why do some people falter and spiral towards self-destruction while others survive and even thrive once the storm has passed? No one is immune to adversity, but some people seem to be better able to cope with and recover from even the most strenuous conditions. At the core of their strength is a mindset that allows them to carry on through thick and thin. Fortunately, this mindset is no secret. Emotional resiliency has been written about, studied and even measured, revealing some insights as to how anyone can be strong. Here are some ways to build your own inner strength. Remember that you are in control. Strength implies having power and being able to affect one's own life, while weakness implies being powerless and helpless. No matter what your circumstances, there are things you can control, and things you can't. The key is to focus on the things you can control. Make a list of all the things that are troubling you, then make a list of all the things you can do to make each situation better. Accept the items on the first list (they are what they are) and focus your energy on the second list. 2 Choose your attitude. Sometimes (hopefully rarely) we encounter situations in which we really are helpless to enact change, but you are still in control because no matter what, you can always control your attitude towards life. As Victor Frankl put it: "We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in

number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedomsto choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." Regardless of what is happening, be positive.

If somebody is making your life miserable, don't let them crush your spirit. Continue to be proud and have hope and remember that these are the things that no one can take away from you. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."[2] Try not to let a crisis or hardship in one area of your life "spill over" into other areas of your life. If you're facing great difficulty with work, for instance, don't behave irritably towards your significant other when they've done nothing but try to help. Eliminate the "side effects" of your hardship by controlling your own attitude. Resilient people do not "catastrophize" every setback, nor do they let negative events follow a domino effect through their lives.[3]

3 Have faith in yourself. You've made it this far. You can make it through just one more day. And if you take it just one day at a time, or even one moment at a time, you can survive whatever you're going through. It won't be easy, and you're not invincible, so take baby steps. When you feel like you're about to fall apart, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Meditate or pray. Tell yourself "I can handle this." Once you've centered yourself, open your eyes and take one more step forward. 4 Pick your battles wisely. You're going through a lot right now; don't cling to ideals and concerns that will break you rather than make you. This is as good a time as ever to avoid sweating the small stuff. Whittle your life down to a few core values that mean the world to you, and don't worry about anything else. "Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong- sometimes it's letting go."[4] 5 Reach out. Spend time with friends and family who are supportive and positive. If no one is available, make new friends. And if there are no friends to be found, help others who are in greater need than you are. Sometimes when we feel like we can't better our own situations, we can find strength in bettering someone else's, and we can also gain perspective on our own lives. "I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet."[5] 6 Be thankful. Life is tough, but if you look closely enough, you'll find and infinite number of things to be grateful for. Even if the things that made you happy in the past are gone, there's so much more to appreciate still. The joy you derive from the world around you is the fuel that'll push you through the hardest of times, so pay attention to what you have and enjoy it for what it's worth. Sure, you might not have that new shirt, or whatever it is you want, but at least you have this computer, with the internet, or you wouldn't be seeing this. You know how to read, you probably have a house, and the Internet you are using is obviously paid for. Some people can't read, have no computer, no home. Think about that.