WILLPOWER

How many times have you felt as if life is slipping away from your fingertips? How many times have you felt that you are not living the way that you have wanted to live?

Life is a priceless gift, and it would be a great pity if you did not live it to its fullest. So, how does one live life to its fullest?

The fulfillment in one’s life lies in the fulfillment in one’s GOALS and attaining the state of balanced HEALTH. Some may argue that there are other requirements for the fulfillment of one’s life, but I see them as subgroups of these two major requirements. Goals are crucial, since success in one’s goals is success in life. If you want something, set it as a goal, and achieve it. Health, even though we underestimate it, is a key component of fulfillment in life. And the definition of healthy that we prescribe as “not being sick” describes just a component of being truly healthy. Health encompasses physical fitness and psychological equilibrium, as well as lack of malady.

Multiple studies have concluded that two personality traits repeatedly lead to a happy and successful life. The first is intelligence, but, since it is given, and cannot be greatly influenced, we will not dwell upon it. The second is maybe even more important, but, most importantly, it can be increased in amount. This crucial component is WILLPOWER.

We have all heard about it, but do we really understand what stands behind that word? In short, willpower is the control over one’s thoughts, emotions, and impulses. A person that wields that control, can direct himself/herself into behavior that is in accordance with his/her goals, and direct away from behavior or actions that can hurt the realization of his/her goals. A common example is the struggle with facebook. You have a goal of getting into a nice college. To get there you have a smaller goal to get good grades. And they, consequently, depend on the grade that you will get on tomorrow’s test. And today you have a choice: you either study or you squander your time on facebook. Now the part of you with full willpower supply will say no to facebook, but an empty willpower you that you often find yourself to be, indulges in the shallow satisfaction of wallowing on facebook.

How can willpower be increased? How can one become the MASTER OF ONE’S SELF? Even though the road toward a significant increase in willpower is not easy, it can still be achieved.

Set a goal. Fulfill it. Repeat.

That is the essence. You don’t want to wallow for 15 minutes before you get up from bed. Write down: “Tomorrow I’m getting up the moment I open my eyes”. The next day it will eat up a significant deal of your willpower, if you actually do it. You get up, find the paper with the goal, and put a little mark or swish. The day after, it will consume a portion somewhat smaller. Put another mark. Each mark gives you more encouragement and more willpower. Repeat the procedure as long as it becomes a habit. And when that happens, it will require no willpower for you to get up the second you wake up.

I believe this system can be employed to many aspects of life, not just morning rituals. Every success brings more willpower. More willpower leads to greater successes. It’s a “vicious” circle.

In next posts I’ll cover other areas of life that I think lead to its fulfillment, such as fitness and health, as well as some psychological issues that trouble the average person.

Till then, get up the second you wake up, it will help you in many ways!