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Did you think that meditation is only reserved for Buddhists and monks?

Were you forced to have that drink/desert/chocolate, even when you said, “you can’t “ ?

Do you know which part of the mind makes complex decisions for you ?

How often do you get distracted at work ?

What do you see when you get in front of the mirror?

Friends keep asking me “How can I lose weight like you”? I reply through the sheer power of my will.

Success is a result of lot of small things done well, day after day. I spent a year spending effort to lose 12kgs of weight, losing almost 1 kg per month. Strong willpower was the key to my success.

Here are 10 habits which can help you build incredible willpower…

How strong is your will power ? How to boost it ?

Ref : http://www.willpowered.co/learn/daily-willpower-habits

1. Meditate: Meditation is the fastest and most effective way to increase your willpower.

Ref : http://www.willpowered.co/learn/benefits-of-meditation-on-willpower

- Meditation is not just a practice for monks. It is, in fact, the most simple and effective way to improve your willpower. It is no coincidence that successful people like Katy Perry, Jerry Seinfeld and Rupert Murdoch all meditate on a daily basis.

2. Exercise : Willpower itself is like a muscle, so it can be strengthened along with your other muscles through physical activity.

Ref : http://www.willpowered.co/learn/effects-of-exercise-on-willpower

- Regular physical exercise is one of the best techniques you can use to build your willpower. Unfortunately, many people never get to see the full benefits of exercise because they set unrealistic workout schedules and aren’t able to remain consistent. When coming up with a plan to exercise, remember that consistency is far more important than frequency.

3. Watch what you eat : Glucose is what the brain uses as its source of fuel to think, create and exert willpower. 

Ref : http://www.willpowered.co/learn/what-to-eat-for-breakfast

- Give your brain a consistent reserve of glucose to exert willpower for the long-term. To accomplish this, researchers suggest a low-glycemic diet.

- Any food that contains calories will give your brain glucose to work with. But not all glucose is created equal. Sugary foods will cause a quick spike of glucose, giving you willpower fuel for the short-term, but will cause a subsequent crash that depletes your willpower just as fast.

4.Get enough sleep : When you don't get enough sleep, your willpower takes the biggest hit.

Ref : http://www.willpowered.co/learn/daily-willpower-habits

- When you are tired, your brain cells are not able to absorb glucose as efficiently as when you are well rested. This means that you begin to lose the “power” in your willpower.

5. Focus on one task at a time : Focusing on one task at a time, we are making the part of the brain that exerts willpower stronger!

Ref : http://www.willpowered.co/learn/daily-willpower-habits

- We have 2 distinct parts of our brain that help in our problem-solving. 1)  limbic system , makes easy and automatic decisions. 2) pre-frontal cortex solves more difficult problems .

- Pre–frontal cortex is the part of our brain that thinks long-term and is responsible for our willpower.  The pre-frontal cortex, however, cannot multi-task. So resist the temptation to multi-task and remain focused. This will train your willpower and help you make tough decisions.

6. Practice mindfulness : develop a tendency to be more mindful of your daily decisions.

Ref : http://www.willpowered.co/learn/value-of-mindfulness

45% of our daily decisions are made completely automatically by our brain. Simply question these daily decisions and you will strengthen your willpower to make better choices throughout the day.

7. Self-monitoring: In front of the mirror, rather than seeing  who we are, we see who we want to be.

Ref : http://www.willpowered.co/learn/self-monitoring

- The best way to keep your ideal self in mind is through a process called Self-Monitoring. This will strengthen your willpower and help you make better decisions.

8. Play offense : The way to get the most out of your willpower is to avoid having to use it.

Ref : http://www.willpowered.co/learn/playing-offense

- There are countless temptations and challenges out there that seek to distract us from our long-term goals. The more of these challenges that we can proactively avoid, the more willpower we will have to take on those that we cannot avoid.

- Right language can help you resist temptations. “ I don’t works” better than “I can’t”. During a research 62% of those who said I don’t eat chocolate were able to stay strong !

9. Find inspiration : When we become inspired, we get a rush of energy that we feel can take us to new heights. It's almost as if we get more willpower.

Ref : http://www.willpowered.co/learn/get-through-the-middle

Find something inspiring that you can turn to on a daily basis. This will help you find the willpower you need even when the times get tough.

10. Chunking : Divide and rule.

Ref : http://www.willpowered.co/learn/chunking

- Last but most important willpower habit is chunking.

- Chunking works because it shifts your focus from that larger goal, into smaller chunks that are easier for your brain to comprehend. For e.g . Thinking of a 12 week exercise plan vs thinking of a workout plan for today.

- Excellence is a habit. It is a lot of small things done well, day-after-day.

- So select just 1 habit to add to your life and stick to it. After it has truly become a habit, move on to the next one. Over time, you will see incredible benefits to your willpower.

Conclusion

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” –

Aristotle.

Thanks !