Written by Berwyn Tan
Hey there! 👋 Ever felt exhausted and prone to making not-so-great decisions by the end of the day? Well, you might be running low on willpower! I stumbled upon some gems in Charles Duhigg’s “The Power of Habit” that got me thinking: Can we actually train our willpower, like hitting the gym to boost stamina?[1]
Quick Answer: Absolutely! Starting with applying willpower to one part of our lives can kickstart the process. We can plan for tricky situations, practice, and even reframe our actions as choices, not obligations.[1]
Training Willpower
Here’s a bit of backstory: Remember the Stanford marshmallow experiment? Kids with the willpower to resist immediate treats grew up with better grades and social standing. And get this — willpower can be drained when we’re forced to resist something. In an experiment, students who resisted freshly baked cookies before attempting an unsolvable puzzle gave it their all, while the radish eaters threw in the towel sooner.
The trick? Feeling in control makes willpower less taxing. When we do something for personal reasons, it’s way easier to muster up that self-control.
So, back to the main question: Can we train our willpower? Yup! Start with a slice of life, like hitting the gym, and watch those good habits spill over into other areas.
But, here’s the kicker: At high-stakes moments, we might forget to tap into our willpower. Starbucks had a cool solution — creating willpower habit loops. Employees practiced responding to tough situations until it became second nature.
[Facebook]Winning Poker Tournament in a Year
Now, let’s switch gears to “The Biggest Bluff” by Maria Konnikova. Imagine going from clueless about cards to winning a poker tournament in a year. Crazy, right? Here are three golden nuggets from her journey[2]:
- No Bad Beats: Life’s a mix of skill and luck, just like poker. Don’t dwell on what’s beyond your control. Instead, focus on your thinking, decision processes, and reactions. No bad beats allowed![2]
- Be Flexible: Success might be more about what you don’t do than what you do. Embrace uncertainty, admit when you’re wrong, and let go of sunken costs and best-case scenarios. As Eric Seidel puts it, “Less certainty, more inquiry.”[2]
- Be Objective: In poker, it’s called tilt when emotions mess with your decision-making. Avoid it by being aware of emotional triggers and root causes. Anticipate those emotions, and you’ll make more rational decisions.[2]
Feel free to dive deeper into these mind-blowing insights! 🚀 Got thoughts? Share them in the comments box below or message me in my LinkedIn!
Learn more from these fascinating reads:
- “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg
- “The Biggest Bluff” by Maria Konnikova
- Li Yuen: Thomas Edison
- Li Yuen: No Excuse
- Li Yuen: Willpower
- Li Yuen: When you focus on everything, you’re not focused on anything. Concentrate.
- Li Yuen: Creativity is like fried rice. When you combine leftover rice, veggies, meat, etc., with some other simple ingredients, a new dish is created. 🙂