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Kelly McGonigal lists 5 strategies that have been scientifically proven to build willpower. They include:
1) training your willpower physiology
2) forgiving yourself
3) making friends with your future self
4) predicting your failure
5) surfing the urge
Not all of the have to be used, and personally I like 1 and 5 the most. I suggest that you watch and share this video 🙂
Research conducted by Roy Braumeister suggests that self-control (one of two important traits linked to success in life) is a consumable resource. That is the more you use it, the more difficulty you can have in both doing and not doing (resisting temptation). He was able to demonstrate this depletion in self-control by simply asking participants to watch a movie and ignore the words that flashed across the bottom of the screen (which requires self-control). Taken in total there are many observations that can be made concerning self-control (after reading several research papers on the topic):
– self control is needed to both do things that you need to do and to avoid the things that you should avoid.
-as consumable resource, it is better to expend it doing things that are important vs avoiding things that you should not do
– those who are good at self-control, seem to minimize the things that they need to avoid (probably giving them more energy to do the things that they need to do)
– self-control can be built like a muscle, the key strategy is to minimize temptation at times that your self-discipline bucket is depleted, and allow adequate time for recovery.
– when building self control, it is better to start small, and monitor your behavior.
– daily rest and Sabbath are likely very important has they likely replenish your allotment of self-control
– the wisdom in The Lords Prayer; “lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil”
To hear from Roy Baumeister check out this video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibui4M4eito
Mental fitness is about being able to identity and operationalize good choices. In this discussion thread, post and comment on the principles, products, and practices, that help us make good decisions. Targets likely include meditation, sleep, brain food, reflection, exercise. You can get some tips from a review of he first 3 steps in the SMARTsteps wellness program.
I attended bible study today where the Pastor referenced the following article:
B Shiv, “Heart and Mind in Conflict: The Interplay of Affect and Cognition in Consumer Decision Making”, JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc., Vol. 26, December 1999.
The basic premise to this paper is that when we are over stimulated the higher rational thinking centers in our brain become distracted and unable to protect us from the more primitive irrational behaviors of the of our more primitive minds. This is born out in grocery stores where we are over stimulated with colors, smells, and sounds, and end up coming out of the store with stuff we never intended.
He went on to mention how life is currently designed to overstimulate. The downside: our input become distorted as we have trouble absorbing all of the information , we learn how not to focus, and we have trouble operationalizing the truth we do have because the higher centers of our brains are so distracted and over burdened.
It was a fascinating bible study session (and I will edit this post later with more content from the session), and we were left with a primary and a secondary homework assignment:
Also feel free to share any other insights from the first in this new bible study series.
-jb
Over the past several weeks I have been feeling tired, drained, and not sure why. In the midst of this challenge, a friend (who maybe an angel sent to watch over me : ) suggested that I review some material about managing my energy. They did not suggest it because of expressed concerns for my energy, as I never mentioned it. They just made the recommendation because they thought it was good information and wanted to share it. They had no idea how timely this information was for me. Another one of those strange coincidences that affirms that there is a force that watches over me, over us.
The information was in the form of a podcast published on YouTube. In a presentation moderated by Liz Morris with Working Families, she states the reasons why it makes more sense to manage your energy, lists the five domains of were our energy comes from, provide a brief survey to allow anyone to assess their energy, and then concludes with 10 tips on how to better manage your energy.
After taking the survey, I realized that poor energy management could be my issue. I then wrote out a brief plan for better managing my energy, and I must say that after a week of implementing some changes, I feel much better (hence the new blog entry, which was the suggestion of another “friend”). You can watch the entire podcast by following the hyper link here: “Manage Your Energy and Not Your Time”. This information seems to be based on the writings of Tony Schwartz, who published The Way We’re Working isn’t Working. There is also a website to learn more about these concepts called “The Energy Project”.
Here is the survey. Be concerned anytime you check off 2 in a grouping:
To assess your Body’s Energy, check off the number that are true:
[] I don’t regular get at least seven to eight hours of sleep, and I often wake up feeling tired.
[] I frequently skip breakfast, of settle for something that is not nutritious.
[] I don’t work out enough (meaning cardiovascular training at least three times per week, and strength training at least once a week).
[] I don’t take regular breaks during the day to truly renew and recharge, or I often eat lunch at my desk, if I eat it at all.
To assess your Mind’s Energy, check off the number that are true:
[] I have difficulty focusing on one thing at a time, and I am easily distracted during the day, especially by e-mail.
[] I spend much of my day reacting to immediate crises, and demands rather than focusing on activities with longer-term value and high leverage.
[] I don’t take enough time for reflection, strategizing , and creative thinking.
[] I work in the evenings or on weekends, and I almost never take an e-mail free vacation.
To assess your Emotional Energy, check off the number that are true:
[] I frequently find myself feeling irritable, impatient, or anxious at work, especially when work is demanding.
[] I don’t have enough time with my family and loved ones, and when I’m with them, I’m not really with them.
[] I have too little time for the activities that I most deeply enjoy.
[] I don’t stop frequently enough to express my appreciation to others or to savor my accomplishments and blessings.
To assess your Spiritual Energy, check off the number that are true:
[] I don’t spend enough time at work doing what I do best and enjoy most.
[] There are significant gaps between what I say is mort important to me in my life and how I actually allocate my time and energy.
[] My decisions at work are more often influenced by external demands than by a strong, clear sense of my own purpose.
[] I don’t invest enough time and energy in making a positive difference to others or to the world
To assess your Environmental Energy, check off the number that are true:
[] I find it hard to concentrate because of constant interruptions and noise.
[] I feel physically uncomfortable at work.
[] I have no place to unwind or take a break.
[] I feel it hard to concentrate because the work environment is physically restrictive.
It is interesting to me that these issues are all addressed to some extent in the SMARTsteps program. The survey does however make me aware of areas where improvements can be made. I am thankful for those at Working Families who put together this thoughtful podcast and published it on YouTube.
I will share my whole plan in another writing, but below are a couple of changes that I have made to my life:
I am so grateful for “friends” who share with me helpful information (without force feeding : ), and help to keep me on my path to a better me. These are true friends indeed.
