205lbs
I started listening to an audio book about willpower, called
The Willpower Instinct .
You are supposed to treat the reading/listening similarly to taking a course, listen to a chapter, go away and 'practice' the proposed methods, then come back and tackle the next one.
I found a companion document on line
here.
The first chapter or week one is about:
I will, I won't, I want: What Willpower is, and why it matters.
My takeaways:
I suffer from poor impulse control... I want to reward myself for every good behaviour... mostly with food, but sometimes with shopping ... most often with something that sabotages my long term goals (save money, be fit, lose weight).
short term reward self (impulsive self) vs. true achievement (impulse control self)
There are several experiments / exercises that I am supposed to do this week to become more self aware and through self awareness, I will be more able to exercise willpower.
Experiment 1: track willpower choices
Track willpower choices - make a note of decisions that help of undermine goals. Track your will power choices for a day.
e.g. this morning, going through Tim Horton's drive through, I was eating a banana as I ordered my coffee, this made it easier to resist ordering a bagel. My willpower was tested, but I resisted by having something else to eat. My willpower was tested, because I was hungry, and I have been in the habit of eating a bagel at TH, also it was a grey and dreary day... this would normally prompt me to want to reward myself for even getting out of bed and facing the day :)
My willpower was tested again, when my coworkers asked if I wanted to join them on a trip down to the specialty coffee machine... I resisted, because I already had a cup of herbal tea.
... continue to track willpower choices
What I learned from this:
By knowing how I will react to situations ahead of time, I can better control our behaviour...
so, tracking my willpower choices and making notes on how I make decisions will make me more aware of how something will get me to my goal or not get me to my goal.
Experiment 2: Meditate
through meditation I can improve my ability to control willpower. By learning how to refocus my thinking, it can be applied to willpower
How to: "Breath Focus"
1. sit still and stay put - plant feet on ground, don't fidget, don't scratch, don't move
2. turn attention to your breath - close your eyes or focus on a single spot. Begin to notice your breath, silently in your mind say "inhale" as you breath in, and "exhale" as you breath out. When your mind wanders bring it calmly back to the breath. again and again as necessary.
3. notice how it feels to breath, notice how the mind wanders. Focus on the sensation of breathing, the feeling, the rhythm, always bringing your mind back to the breath
if you need help, refocus on inhale / exhale
4. start with 5 minutes once per day. A short practice everyday is better than a long practice every once in a while.
When you are bad at meditation and your mind wanders a lot... the skills learned by practicing refocusing, you are practicing willpower.
You notice you are off goal, and then you redirect.
Practice getting back to the breath, the struggle is what will improve willpower.
Willpower is a battle between our two selves.
To win the battle, you need self awareness and self control.
Translate to WW principles
Self awareness = tracking food and exercise (being aware of my short term reward self)
Self control = being mindful and of goals, habits and spaces, (taking control of this will lead to long term / true achievement)
Whoa!!! I think this book will be an excellent resource, I just have to put it into practice.
Just Do It!
Posts
