How to develop the will power and go without interruption to its goal

Speech today will focus on the strength of will - that part within each, which are responsible for the decisions made by us: to be or not to be, to do or not. Whenever there is a need of actionWhich is not included in our habits or contrary to the inner desires and beliefs, we engage willpower.

ancient Greek philosopher Plato It was the first one in about 400 BCE suggested description for the internal struggle of man with himself, comparing the soul to a chariot. At the site of the driver, according to Plato, it was located a reasonable start, endowed with a certain strength of will. The very same chariot drawn by two horses, symbolizing the noble and sensible start. Listening to the driver's hands, they have a chariot forward, but if he was tired or too whipping horses, then immediately loses control over them, acting against their conscious desires.

In the same way it arranged and our minds. In a tense struggle with our inner "want" it will inevitably get tiredWillpower weakens, and as a result, we can not make some decisions that require us some effort. Taking care of personal productivity and controlling their internal desire, we want to do "charioteer" more to "chariot" has always traveled in the desired direction. Simply put, we always want to see the results of our efforts. This can be achieved by training willpower.

Willpower - your main trump card up his sleeve

Willpower in nature - the ability to successfully cope with the challenges. It determines how fast you can get down to work, renounce junk food, to start going to the gym. Willpower is absolutely applicable to all aspects of life.

Consider that willpower - one of your muscles, which, like all other muscles need regular stretching and exercise. Otherwise, they will atrophy like an astronaut, returned from the space station.

The same opinion is shared by scientists Mark Muravin and Roy Baumeister (Muraven and Baumeister). To confirm their hypothesis, they conducted an experiment once, went down in history as an experiment with radishes and biscuits. The essence of it was this: the hungry subjects were asked to divide into two groups, one of which could only have radishes, and the other - a chocolate chip cookie. After some time, the participants were asked to solve a complex geometrical problem. In this case, no one group of people did not know what the solution does not exist.

During the experiment, it was found out that those who were treated radish, surrendered by a good 20 minutes faster than thoseWho got cookies. Why? The fact that the last I do not have to make an effort and there is less palatable food, which means that use willpower. The experiment demonstrated that and will have achievable limits.

Perhaps you're thinking: "Hmmm, what there is will power... I could not resist and snapped on the cookie. " I hasten to reassure you: the servant meticulous science discovered that willpower, like any muscle, successfully amenable to training, like a tiger caught in the hands Zapashny brothers. With proper training willpower allows a person prodelyvat and much more complex tricks. For example, completely without food for five days, you will agree, it is a very serious test.

Two ways to strengthen the willpower

1. Nurture will. To strengthen the muscles, we subject them to stress, and they are tired, and when recovered, they become stronger. Willpower trains on the same principle: take the health, try to organize your thoughts and become gathered.
2. Use the power of the mind. Willpower - especially. Sometimes it is better to bypass the hill than up to it. And most everyday tasks actually require less effort than it seems at first glance.

So if you are one of those who wants to raise the self-control to a new level, we will continue to acquaint you with the tools designed to make your will power stronger than diamond claws.

How to develop the will power

Let's face it - we are for the most part weak-willed. Many downright talent to stagnation and vice: all day sitting in social networks, indulge in burgers, smoke, do something else harmful. Try to go for lunch, putting mobile phone to the side, - it is not so easy as it might seem at first. Being in constant tension, you do not feel the need to exercise faith. But as soon as you come in the head the idea to lose weight or disappoint, Start a business or find a better job - then you and to learn about the disadvantages of its absence on the thorny path to success.

And yet, the chances of winning this unequal struggle with himself there. It's simple: pay attention to health as physical and mental. Try to follow a few of simple recommendations that we offer you below.

1. Eat healthy food

the human brain - a mystery to this day. Inside this body is not easy, but its significance is not subject to the slightest doubt. The weakening of the mental faculties of man leads to the breakdown of habits and inclinations. The most obvious sign of the outside of this is the so-called body mass index (BMI). If it is too high or tends to rise in the blood sugar level starts to "gallop" and you feel inhibited for a long time "swinging".

However, weight is not the only indicator of health status, affecting the person's ability to self-control.

Deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the body, e.g. vitamin D, may lead to a breach of cognitive functions. That is why a healthy diet plays a crucial role: the person and the weight of the procedure, and the vitamins with microelements come in abundanceWillpower is there, too, in the proper amount.

2. Engage in physical activity

Many have probably heard the saying "The healthy body - healthy spirit ". It really is. The more active a person is physically, the better it is, so to speak, to think.

If we are a long time without moving, especially sitting, the muscles gradually "fall asleep", and together with them and our brain.

That's why coaches or lecture so easy to fall asleep. Partly for the same reason, the popularity of today become tables for working while standing. The so-called desk can significantly increase the productivity due to the fact that the muscles of the legs and back stay in motion, and therefore the vessels are fully engaged in the circulation, providing the brain with oxygen. If the work standing up is not possible, find the time to stand up and stretch their legs a bit. INoats do not have to be marathon runners or heavyweight - just be more active. To do this, turn on the warm-up in the list of mandatory events for each day. In the end, we ourselves forming their habits, true?

Try to perform the "Japanese" standards prescribed do 10thousands of steps every day to maintain good health. Helpful and will go up a couple of times on the stairs. Do what you like, the main thing - to be in motion.

Sometimes it seems that the forces if leave us and to continue to work is no longer possible. It is not necessary to deal with this feeling. Get up and go for a walk! You will be surprised when you feel better after only five minutes.

3. sleep

To achieve the highest degree of concentration of willpower, combine a healthy diet and exercise with a quality sleep at night.

Under the lack of sleep we mean sleep duration of less than seven to eight hours at night. Sleepy brain is working at half strength, as if you are "accepted in the chest", which can already be compared with a total lack of willpower. Imagine, just an hour or two that you need to "reach" the eight-hour rule will will power an order of magnitude stronger. But enough sleep, albeit infrequently, volitional efforts will not be so easy.

4. Drink more water

This last point is related to health care. Honestly.

Water is necessary to all living things - an indisputable fact. It turns out that the ability of focusing largely due to the water content in our body. Even slight dehydration can seriously affect on human mental activity.

It is believed that in order to maintain the normal life should drink two liters or eight glasses of water daily. We recommend to increase this rate in half to two times: advantages to well-being will be a beautiful skin and a healthy, moderate appetite.

And in water contains potassium, sodium and chlorine - essential for the human organism electrolytes.

5. meditate

Kelly McGonigal (Kelly McGonigal) - psychologist, professor at Stanford University and author series books about willpower - he believes that meditation is one of the best methods of its training.

The concept of "willpower" is associated with a person's ability to focus on the task at hand, controlling the scattered mind. Many of us with this problem, which is exacerbated by the continuous flow of diverse information pouring on us from a mobile phone, a laptop, and social networking.

With the help of meditation can train self-awareness, the ability to abstract and concentrate our attention on any internal process - the goals may be different. If you have mastered the basic techniques of breath control, the focus on the work will not make much effort, even if the situation and will not have to work.

Moreover, meditation teaches us to "control himself among crowds of distraught", rather than to go out herself or upset for any reason - agree that the latter is unlikely to make you an employee months.

Concentrating on different feelings, we learn to get rid of unwanted in some situations emotions and their external manifestations.

If you want to try the wonderful effects of meditation on Me todayRefer, for example, the application Headspace, which will help to master the science of relaxation.

6. More practice

What you would not want to succeed, practice. Getting training willpower, start by checking himself on the "lice". Do without wisdom, because with the strength of will, as in war, or in love, all methods are good.

To cope with the desire to eat ice cream before going to bed? Ladder. Refused to view a series of "True detective"In favor of reading? Plus in karma. Already known Professor McGonigal advises us to do more unusual things: opening doors or brush your teeth with the other hand, going by different routes, avoid words-parasites. All this will also help to strengthen your willpower.

How to save power of will and find the desired

Itself will power to achieve their goals is not enough. Imagine that you are standing in the garage FerrariUnder the hood which hid a herd of horsepower - a car, no doubt, very fast. However, if the fuel tank is dry, you will not leave.

That is why it is important to use a good and proven methods of control. Why run to where you can walk without haste? In the following paragraphs, we learn about how the economical use willpower to remain and "for later".

1. Divide and rule

Sometimes, just by looking at the front of future work, we already want to give up and admit that nothing happens. And a personal motivation. For example, if you say to yourself: "I have to lose 20 pounds", it should be understood that to achieve this goal may take more than one month.

However, if the divided one large task into several smaller items, say "read one paragraph textbook on microbiology "or" lose weight by two kilograms, "the goal will no longer seem so to you unattainable.

The more complex the task the greater the effort of their own will have to do. Realizing this, grasp for the first uniquely feasible points. So you "razomnotes" before doing the rest.

2. Form the habit

Layfhaker already talked about Charles Duhigg(Charles Duhigg) and his book "force of habit"In which he states: habit is approximately 40% of our daily activities.

In general, this is good news. Imagine if every time, sitting in the car, you ran the mental chain "So, rented a parking brake, shake the clutch pedal, turn the key, look in the rearview mirror, look around, turn back transfer. " You see? If these actions are not part of the habit, we would have had no time to think about anything!

But, whether we like it or not, bad habits, unfortunately, has not been canceled. It's because of them we have several times in the morning defer the alarm, spinning in the hands of the keys and (oh, horror!) Melancholic picking his nose. Once discipline is weakened, they are already here.

On the contrary, good and healthy habits will help to maintain the strength and tone in the maximum state of alert. For example, if your normal schedule includes daily jogging in the morning, then jumped out of bed and run to the park is unlikely to be a problem for you. If not - force yourself to start, and after a week your body will get used to a new morning "ritual". Use this simple technique to obtain truly valuable skills.

Getting to work, try to devote half an hour of their time planning the most important tasks - in a few days it will be for you is quite commonplace.

Think about the activities of daily living require you to special moral effort. Make a list of them and identify those who could get into the habit. An additional source of motivation can be a service Beeminder, which displays the progress of your achievements graphically define lazy and "punish" ruble weakness of spirit. This is Sparta, brother.

3. Avoid bad news

Whoever feels "a million" and thinks clearly, and people tend to be strong-willed. The absence of stress and all sorts of sorrow as well as possible impact on the self-education. That is why the expression "You are what you eat" is true for the "mental" food - we consume information.

Of course, our world is not perfect and not every event can cause a smile on his face. Road accidents, war, collapses of financial markets - in short, everything that is continuously broadcast on the screens TVs, and mobile devices, has an impact on our mood, along with the rest of the information and... willpower. In fact, even vacation photos posted by your friend on his page in the social network can be a serious threat to the willpower and keep your fuse to naught. As is known, still the ax that hack. Also, our consciousness, which processes incoming signals from the outside in the autopilot.

To avoid excessive "informativeness", try to limit the consumption of information, not related to the field of your activity directly. Of course, if you are a broker by profession, then be aware of stock market fluctuations - is your direct responsibility. But thinking of a series of "What will happen tomorrow if ..." does not bring practical benefits.

4. Create a favorable working environment

With the power of the will - both with money: the less you spend, the more you have in the end. It is logical to assume that you can make the environment work for you, that is, to reduce the likelihood of situations where willpower you may need. So, you can easy to focus on the essentials.

For example, you have on the table a box of expensive chocolates. Periodically in the head there is a desire to open it and treat yourself, but you are struggling with it by force of will. Next to the usual box of a mobile phone located on the screen from time to time there are notification icons. Trying not to be distracted, you continue to work. Know willpower working together with you.

The same applies to the mouth-watering food photos in glossy magazines.

To make sure not to fall in the number of spineless losers, which says Jonathan, try the service RescueTime: it will not only take into account your working time, but also help to classify the activities in accordance with the degree of importance.

5. Prepare in advance

Psychologically easier to give a solution, the need for which we are known in advance. Knowing this, we can minimize the use of our volitional resources in achieving their goals.

Just think about what you need to do, and repeat to herself, securing the right idea in his head, as if it were mandatory to implement the rule. For example, "when he came to work, I will immediately answer all the letters," or "As soon as I wake up, get dressed and go to the gym."

Such rules are largely simplify the struggle of man with himself, saving his inner resources. And they help to keep our promises. Sometimes I do forget and is better than not to do and suffer internal conflicts and remorse. Believe generated by cognitive dissonanceThey inevitably appear to spoil your mood. If you know that a long and hard work on the result, tune it in advance and follow a few more simple tasks, to "warm up".

6. Listen to yourself

Many people know their natural "clock". There is a feeling that the force is about to leave, or, on the contrary, when the high-level productivity, it seems that there is no such a problem that it would be impossible to handle.

This is due to circadian rhythms — cyclical fluctuations of the intensity of various biological processes associated with the change of day and nightsand. That's why most people feel tired at about two in the morning and a burst of energy, coming after two Popolatdays. If you are one of them, plan to make all the most important to the moment when your activity level will fall.

Also known is another type of biological rhythms - ultradian rhythms. They are responsible for concentration, changes in pain sensitivity and a number of other processes that take place during the day and night in the human body.

In fact, every hour and a half our brain goes through a cycle in which a high level of activity gives way to low. If at the time of peak activity you are engaged in work, the work goes and brings satisfaction.

On the contrary, by acting contrary to their natural rhythms, you mindlessly spend a limited supply of willpower and, as a result, quickly "burn out."

If the time "not your", and cases still a lot, we recommend working sets for an hour and a half, punctuated by a 15-20-minute break between each of these sets.

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Even more will

So, if you already feel that the knowledge and eager to find a practical application, here are a few tips to start immediately:

1. Think about which aspects of health should pay attention to you, overweight, sleep quality, physical education classes. Do not handle everything at once, start with something one.
2. Rate benefits known at the moment the service assistants, such as Headspaceand Calm. They work, we checked.
3. Alternate simple and complex tasks during the working day in order to stay in good shape.
4. Critically analyze the organization of their working places for things, stealing your attention and time. And try the service RescueTime.
5. Identify the peaks of your activity and periods of recession observed during the day or evening. Remember these time periods, and start planning with them into account.
6. Think about the good habits you could buy, as well as that of the mandatory items in your list, you can plan ahead.

We hope you will finally have seen the inevitable success of all your scheduled events. Even better, if the Action Plan has already begun to take shape in your mind. We will be glad to learn about other effective methods of self-control and read your "winner's history"!