“Will is character in action.” – William McDougall
Have you made a New Year’s resolution that would better your life in some way, shape or form? If you’ve answered, “Yes,” then here’s another question for you: Have you kept to that resolution? Depending on the time of the year you read this, your answer could be different. You might be saying now, “Yes, I’ve made my resolution and I’m stick to it.” But by the year’s end, you could’ve ignored or forgotten about the personal pledge you made to yourself. Maybe it’s not a New Year’s resolution, but a declaration to do better, work hard, achieve greater. The difference between keeping our individual vows and forgoing them is all thanks to willpower.
Willpower is nothing more than the ability to carry out what one decides, wishes or plans for one’s life. We are creatures of wants and needs where our wants sometimes override our needs. If it looks good, smells fantastic, tastes wonderfully, sounds magnificent or feels incredible, even if it’s not good for us, we tend to ignore the warning signs. Like any skill, to strengthen your resolve you must train. When it comes to willpower, the ability to say, “No,” to yourself is what will mean the difference between being happy or disappointed with your actions.
With willpower comes determination. And what follows determination is an unbridled need to succeed at being the very best you can be.
