REVIEW: "Willpower. How to develop and strengthen, "Kelly McGonigal

The book does not give you a pill for pumping "Willpower + 5", but open their eyes to a lot of subterfuge and deception techniques invented by our resourceful brain to follow the path of least resistance and grasping for momentary pleasure, sacrificing the long-term goals. Exposing sabotage mind and actionable advice to combat domestic sabotage - the main value of the book.

initially "Strength of will"I did not like - the first two chapters repeat ideas, familiar to fans of books on self development. For example, about the importance of exercise, meditation and relaxation for the development of willpower and concentration. The fact that no self-awareness, reflection and understanding of their own motives impossible to move forward on the path of personal growth. On an internal scale book pulled at C grade five, and I thought that, perhaps, I will not leave it in your personal library. But after the book faded prelude played in very different colors, revealing a variety of reasons why we fail in tests of will. By the end of the fourth chapter of the arrow on the inner scale has moved a solid top five. Definitely, "Willpower" - one of the best books I've read this year (including about 15 pieces).

The author, Kelly McGonigal, a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine at Stanford University and at the same time, the program of additional education at Stanford reading his own course "Science of the power will. " It keeps track of the latest research in psychology and neuroscience. And in their work clearly and simply summarizes the current scientific research, citing the example of many psychological experiments, and stories of his students, but without overwhelming scientific terminology.

How to forge a strong will

Below I will share a few useful ideas from the book that will help you survive when willpower tests:

1. Willpower is like a muscle. By permanent voluntary control we are "tired". Therefore, it is impossible in one fell swoop to replace all the bad habits for utility and exhibiting willpower in one area, we can break into other matters. For example, forbidding themselves all day to look at Facebook and Twitter, we suddenly overeat before bedtime. But the good news is that willpower is amenable to training - every time, showing restraint, we are expanding our processing. Help even simple exercises: "OK, I have a sweet tooth, but in no case will not take candy from the bowls, which are delivered in plain view."

2. Many of you have probably heard about the experiment, when the rats implanted electrodes in the brain in a fun area, and they are pressed to exhaustion on the lever, which gives the current rank. They starved to death, but did not give up, "pleasures." Subsequent investigations have shown that the original authors of the experiment made a mistake in the conclusions - electrodes implanted not in the fun zone, and in stimulating desire zone. The rats in the brain to release dopamine, which ran expectations reaction award: "Let's act now would be good." Similar reactions are triggered in our brain when we walk between the shelves with bright goods in the supermarket; We consider advertising with half-naked girls or boys; look in Facebook or Vkontakte, waiting for a sign of approval from friends. Dopamine underlies reinforcement system and pushes us to action, to get the real or imaginary rewards as quickly as possible. We confuse the desire and happiness. Long-term and difficult goals such as "launch site" does not cause the release of dopamine, but the task is "to answer all e-mails in my inbox "is very attractive - at least 10 times a day, you can enjoy it implementation.

Short-term rewards that are in front of the eyes - the most difficult test. To fight them you can train yourself to the 10-minute pause in their areas of risk - to remove the object of desire of sight and wait for 10 minutes: "Do I really want to buy it? And in fact, I want a great burger? "

3. We love to praise and reward yourself for good behavior. Often, the reward is reduced to concessions, which is contrary to the general line of conduct: "I'm on a lot this week saved - deserved shopping trip over the weekend, "" No one missed training with the beginning of the month - can be ordered dessert". A cautionary tale about a girl who wanted to lose weight before the wedding and went to the gym, but gained weight, as was the reward themselves for their hard work cakes with simulators. Monitoring progress can lead to a similar trap, "Oh, I have more than half of the review wrote, you can rest for 5 minutes and look in the fridge ..."

Avoid traps, think about that for which you are tense willpower - to be healthy and fit, to save money for housing, to start their own business, etc. Then you will not become pamper yourself destructive rewards that separate you from purposes.

4. Another insidious indulgence - we need only think of the good deed, a promise for the New Year to improve, or to make a banal do list to feel so much better, it is already possible to not bother the embodiment of ideas in reality. In this case, even a desire to reward myself for how good I could be! For the same twisted logic we put good behavior for the future: "Today will miss training and catch up next week."

Improper planning time is very common for us, because in the future we will present ourselves ideal people who almost never get tired, living in the best possible conditions without unexpected accidents. "This is scraped away the case, and the next month I have, at last, the time will write a blog, go to the gym, do yoga, to save the world." Self-deception! Kelly McGonigal says, "Psychologists have proved that we mistakenly believe that in the future we are waiting for more free time than it is today." Do not take loans in the future. Tomorrow you'll be as loaded as it is today, especially if nothing is done to change their behavior.

5. "A bad example is infectious" - proven by studies. Bad habits spread like an epidemic. We take action friends, trusted as the norm. And if we are particularly vulnerable to any temptation, the example of influential people will confirms that it is useless to resist - smoke, plump, overeat, cheated on his wife / husband - because everybody does.

But the converse is also true - good habits are contagious too. If you quit smoking, you can encourage your friends too-smokers to try to quit. Playing sports or jogging can suddenly become "fashionable" in the city, because people copy each other's behavior.

It is therefore useful to talk about their achievements to friends, write a blog or social networks. First, we inspire others to great deeds. Secondly, we are launching the mechanism of pride. Our brain tends to approval and acceptance by the tribesmen, so helping us to make the "right" choice, when he knows that watching us, or will be able to talk about success.

On the pages of "Willpower" many such discoveries. After reading your brain will already be difficult to deceive you. You will learn what rules the mind plays and how he swindles, and will get a chance to beat him.

"Strength of will. How to develop and strengthen, "Kelly McGonigal

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