There is a general theme to a lot of my discussions lately and that is of self-control and willpower, especially when it comes to food and nutrition. Willpower is another muscle that we must build up and strengthen in order for us to be able to achieve our goals.
Willpower is something that can ensure success is achieved in not only your personal life but also your professional life. It is the ability to delay instant gratification for the greater good. So how do you get yourself to the gym after a long day at work? Or, how do you say no to the chips and chocolate your partner is scoffing down on the couch? Practice the following 5 things to help build your willpower a.k.a self-control:
1. Make a plan and set realistic fitness goals: Setting yourself realistic goals sets yourself up for success! Short term and realistic achievable goals increase your self-esteem and subsequently your willpower! For example: In a perfect world I would love to train daily but I know that with my busy schedule that is not realistic. I aim for a minimum of 3 sessions a week and at the beginning of each week and lock in times to train and stick to them. When you stick to these goals, you will instantly feel great and may even sneak in an extra session as you’re motivated, feeling good and also succeeding.
2. Break Bad Habits: Good habits strengthen our willpower! Take it nice and slow, make one change at a time otherwise you may feel super restricted. Good habits build self-discipline and self-control and this will infiltrate other areas of our lives. Start by waking up 15 minutes earlier and practice yoga, meditation, journaling; something that helps you become more mindful of your actions.
3. Feed your brain: Our brain is the decision making muscle that helps us to improve on our willpower! Ensuring you feed it with much nutritious goodness assists in making conscious decisions! In saying that, everything in moderation. SO if chocolate is your kryptonite incorporate a chocolate bar into your daily calories!
4. SLEEP! You must be sick of me talking about this, but THAT is how important it is! As adults we need 6-8 hours of sleep each night so do yourself and your brain a favour and do it! Check out 'The importance of sleep' post.
5. Close your eyes and count to 10: Why are we doing this? What are we trying to accomplish? Why do we want to change? If we keep reminding ourselves why we started on this journey we will be more likely to stick to our plans. Another helpful tip is to change your wallpaper on your phone to that thing you want to achieve. If there is a pair of shoes you want to buy and just don’t have the spare cash, make it your wallpaper. The next time you go to make unnecessary purchases look at your phone wallpaper as a reminder. The art of manifesting and self control!
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