How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Willpower

Willpower seems important when trying to persuade, and it is. Whether you are trying to stop smoking or get a truculent teenager to comply, then the style and strength of your will is an important factor in whether you will succeed.

Understanding Willpower: What is it?
- What is Willpower?: Understanding what it is.
- Self-Control: We use our will to control our urges.
- Delayed Gratification: Putting off rewards.
- Domination: Control of others.
- Willpower as Muscle: Exercise and exhaustion.
- Ego Depletion: The loss of ego as will fades.
- How Will Fails: How we get it wrong and how to fix it.
- Willpower Style: Four types of will situation.
- The Brain's Urge System: We have a deep system which, when it goes wrong, can cause strange effects.
- Delayed Gratification: Putting off rewards.
Ways of Desisting (stopping something):
- Interruption: Breaking the pattern.
- Added Cost: Make it more costly.
- Replacement: Doing something else instead.
- Refusal: Just saying 'no'.
- Changing Belief: To change how you act.
- Remembering Values: Which often support desisting.
- Refuting Excuses: Managing the internal talk.
- Goal Focus: Remember the goal.
- Shame Thinking: Consider how ashamed you will feel.
- Take Glucose: Give yourself a willpower boost.
Ways of Persisting (doing what you should):
- Determination: Dogged persistence.
- Rewarding: Getting something for doing the right thing.
- Changing Belief: To change how you act.
- Goal Focus: Remember the goal.
- Future Focus: Think about all the benefits.
- Pride Thinking: Think about how good you will be.
- Take Glucose: Give yourself a willpower boost.
How to Increase Your Willpower: Ways of building your will.
- Start Small: Begin with easy things.
- Visualize: Imagine clearly using willpower.
- Be Charitable: Do things to help others.
- Get Healthy: Go on a diet or get fit.
- Resist Temptation: See it and don't do it.
- Work Harder: Pour yourself into your work
- Work Smarter: Change the way you work.
- Think Right: Know the right thing and do it.
- Resist Persuasion: Stand up to the will of others.
- Challenge Others: Use your will with others.
- Emulate Experts: Copy those who do it well.
How to Persuade with Willpower
- Escalation: Make it more important.
- Build-Up: Steadily increase pressure.
- Persistence: Not giving up.
Articles on Willpower:
- Conserve Willpower: Keeping your batteries fresh.

More to come...

Willpower

See also