What is “willpower”: concept, 7 main components

Updated July 24, 2021 115 Author: Dmitry Petrov
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. The concept of “will” originated in the depths of philosophy and means the individual’s ability to moral and physical self-determination.

Subsequently, the concept began to be used in psychology - in its context we will consider it in this article.

What is willpower?

Willpower is the internal energy of a person, which allows you to consciously activate and direct efforts to solve certain problems and implement plans, regardless of the availability of strength and desire to work.
The main purpose of willpower is for a person to overcome internal obstacles on the way to his goal. It acts as the ability of an individual, through a conscious effort, to take control of his own behavior and direct all his strength to solving a specific issue, overcoming possible obstacles along the way. It is for this reason that people who are able to overcome difficult life circumstances and all kinds of obstacles are called strong-willed or people with a strong will.

Consequently, strong-willed people can consciously awaken, concentrate and direct their own internal resources, forcing themselves to move in the direction they need. Thus, willpower is understood as the conscious desire of an individual at the right moment and for the right time to activate his internal energy to solve a certain task.

The concept of will in psychology

The structure of a volitional act has the following form:

1. First, a person experiences psychological or physical discomfort - this is an incentive in relation to a subsequent action (for example, there is discomfort in the stomach);
2. Then there is an understanding of my discomfort (the sensations in my stomach tell me that I am hungry) and the emergence of desire (I want to eat). But it happens that awareness does not occur.
3. Then it is customary to talk about attraction : a person wants something, but does not know what exactly. He begins to look for the cause of his feelings until the attraction turns into the status of desire (he stroked his rumbling stomach - it didn’t help, he sang a song to him - there was no result, he saw an appetizing chicken on TV - the sensations intensified and the realization of hunger came);
4. Desire gives rise to purpose (I need food);
5. Making a decision to take action (go to the supermarket for groceries). If at this stage a person has two or more desires, then a collision occurs between them. In psychology, this phenomenon is called the struggle of motives (I want to eat, but I don’t want to go outside because of the heavy rain);
6. And here an act of will - the choice of one of the motives (I decide to take an umbrella and go);
7. This is followed by internal planning (which store I will go to, what I will buy) and external execution of the plan (I get dressed and leave the apartment).

The main components of willpower

Experts studying the described phenomenon have identified seven main components that form willpower. These include:

• Self-discipline , without which it is impossible to achieve any serious results even in simple matters. The development of willpower contributes to the formation of this quality, which helps to correctly prioritize and take control of one’s own actions and thoughts;
• Persistence , since the path to a goal requires finding ways to achieve it, and only persistent people will find them;
• Courage , i.e. the ability to take decisive action at the right time, as well as the ability to take risks or abandon unnecessary risks in time;
• Faith , in this case - faith in yourself and your own strength. If a person is firmly confident in the favorable outcome of his undertaking, then it will be easier for him to achieve a positive result;
• Desires , i.e. those goals that a person strives to achieve. The goal must justify the resources spent on its implementation, then the final result will be expected and desired;
• The ability to endure , since the implementation of a plan, especially a large-scale one, requires enormous patience;
• Independence is one of the most important character traits of a strong-willed person. An independent person knows how to make decisions and take responsibility, without expecting ready-made decisions from strangers.

All of these factors together form a high level of willpower in an individual.

How Willpower Works: Exhaustion Theory

Sometimes when people complain about failure, they are told: “Just take it and show willpower!” It’s easy to say, but difficult to do, especially when you’re already mentally sinking your teeth into a juicy burger or anticipating the bitter-tart taste of a cigarette puff. To understand how self-control works, let's look at the theory of willpower depletion.

, developed by psychology professor
Roy Baumeister
.
He conducted an experiment where he influenced one of the most common human weaknesses - a passion for sweets.
The subjects were placed in a room filled with the smell of fragrant fresh cookies. After this, some volunteers were treated to baked goods, while others were content with radishes. At the end of the meal, the subjects were asked to solve a difficult geometric puzzle. According to the results of the study, it turned out that respondents who ate cookies were willing to spend much more time and attempts to find a solution to the problem than those who ate radishes. Baumeister made a logical conclusion - the self-control of the experimental subjects who received the vegetable was undermined

(they spent an internal resource trying to drive away thoughts about the cookies they never got). Accordingly, they had much less willpower to solve the problem.

The main theses of the theory of willpower depletion

Exhaustion theory essentially suggests that willpower is like a muscle. Training will harden and strengthen it, but excessive stress will cause fatigue

.
At least once in our lives, each of us cut ourselves some slack and said: “I’m weak and weak-willed, I’ll just do it, even though I know I’ll hurt myself.” This is often due to the fact that a person has little resource left for proper self-control
.
Each of us has quite a large reserve of willpower - but not unlimited
. In fact, we use it even when performing tasks that seem easy and mundane: washing the dishes, brushing our teeth, changing clothes. In such cases, the resource is spent in such small quantities that we do not notice it. Unfortunately, truly depleting factors surround us literally at every step, including social interactions. Unwanted visits from relatives, heated arguments with friends, and even toxic behavior from colleagues all reduce our self-control.

At the same time, depletion of willpower and physical fatigue

- are not the same thing, so even a tired person is able to pull himself together and show self-discipline.
But most importantly, willpower can be trained
- just as we train muscles - and then this resource will be more difficult to deplete.

How does lack of willpower manifest itself?

Is it possible to find out if you are a strong-willed person? Yes, but to do this you need to honestly answer yourself a few questions:

• Have you ever put off until later or done urgently important things?
• Have you ever had to justify failure to fulfill your responsibilities by lack of time or other excuses?
• Are most of your problems still unsolved?
• Do you often get distracted from your work by various little things, such as computer games, communicating on social networks or watching TV series?
• Do you periodically fail to keep your promises to yourself?

If you answered yes to all or almost all of the above questions, then you can work a little on developing willpower.

Effect of neurotransmitters

It turns out that willpower is affected by the work of two neurotransmitters: one of which is dopamine, the other is serotonin. Under their power is such an emotion as pleasure, or rather its anticipation. With the coordinated work of two neurotransmitters, a person is able to control the process of regulating willpower . But if he suddenly feels unsatisfied, he will try to fill this gap by any means. It is often difficult to avoid the physiological need in this matter. Moreover, some are sure that it is impossible to train willpower. But that's not true. Of course, it is best to start from childhood, but adults, with certain skills, can cope with this task.

How to develop willpower?

So, let's move on directly to developing willpower. Fortunately, this character trait is not innate, but can be developed; in particular, there are seven fairly simple ways to develop this quality:

1. Set specific goals

To direct your willpower to achieve what you want, you must firmly decide what exactly you want. In cases where the goals set are thorough and serious (for example, mastering a foreign language or a new profession), it makes sense to draw up a detailed plan with specific steps and time frames, and then consistently and clearly follow each of its points.

You shouldn’t waste your energy by setting several goals at once; you simply won’t have enough strength to achieve them. To begin with, it is better to choose one specific goal, the achievement of which will give you confidence in your own abilities and motivate you to new achievements.

Volitional qualities of a person

For a more precise understanding of what will is, let us outline its main features, which are also called volitional qualities:

1. Determination is a person’s ability to set a specific goal and actively strive to achieve it.
2. Decisiveness is immediate but deliberate action that implements the decision made.
3. Perseverance is an internal quality that simultaneously strengthens the will. This is following the intended plan, despite obstacles and defeats.
4. Self-discipline is conscious submission to established requirements, norms and rules.
5. Self-control is the ability to control your emotional and behavioral manifestations.
6. Courage is the willingness to overcome the fears that often accompany achieving a goal.
7. Independence is the ability to rely on one’s knowledge, principles, values ​​and take responsibility for one’s actions.

These qualities are inherent mainly in adults, mature people, but not in everyone. Many, being great uncles and aunts, continue to be childishly infantile: they are afraid to make decisions, throwing responsibility for their lives onto stronger, strong-willed people around them.

​Additional methods

1. Meditation . One of the most ancient and effective methods. During meditation practice, a person is able to concentrate on the main thing and focus his attention. Even within three days, supplemented by 10-minute meditations, a person becomes more attentive to others and less susceptible to stress. His level of self-control increases, which leads to the formation of stable willpower. To get started, you can use the simple exercises that are on our website.
2. Cost accounting . It is useful to have a notebook in which to write down your daily expenses. This will help not only reduce expenses, but also gradually develop willpower. Accounting control increases attentiveness and counteracts temptations: to spend money on alcohol, cigarettes, and sweets.
3. Control over your speech . It is important to take some time and analyze your daily speech. Does it contain a lot of obscene expressions and filler words? It's better to get rid of them. You can control yourself by recording your conversation on the phone or with friends. Or ask loved ones to remind you of the problem. In the beginning, you need to devote at least one hour to this skill. Gradually increase the time. Increasing self-control helps improve overall results.
4. Exercise stress . Sports are not available to everyone due to health reasons, but you can choose the appropriate type of physical activity. To do this, you don’t need to go to the gym or go for long runs. It is enough to devote at least 1-2 minutes a day to the Plank pose or hang on the horizontal bar for 10-15 minutes. For those interested, it is recommended to take a yoga course. Physical activity improves health and helps develop persistence in achieving your goals.
5. To fulfill promises . This is a difficult but very necessary skill. Instead of words-instructions “I need to do this and that,” it is better to use the wording “I promise myself to do ...” and follow this promise strictly! Otherwise, there is a great temptation to lie on the couch all day without getting anything done.

​10 exercises to train your will

Say NO to bad habits

You need to take a piece of paper and honestly list all your negative habits. Then gather all your will into a fist and gradually, one by one, begin to get rid of them. It is recommended to start with the easiest one. For example, if you have been drinking coffee for a very long time, and you want to get rid of this habit, then you need to first switch to chicory, and then to green tea or another healthy drink. Alternatively, you can come up with fines that must be strictly followed in case of failures.

Test by temptation

A difficult but very useful exercise. When you want to get rid of chocolate addiction, you need to keep a delicious chocolate bar nearby. But under no circumstances should you eat it. This is the only way to seriously train your willpower.

Switching attention

The point is to be able to shift your attention from cravings to forbidden fruit. Instead of chocolate, for example, do a few squats or read a certain number of pages of a book.

New habits

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It is better to replace old, harmful addictions with new, useful ones. Instead of morning coffee, do exercises, replace junk food with fruits and vegetables. In this case, you can use any useful actions that come to mind. To consolidate a new habit, you need to hold out for at least 21 days.

Charity

Scientists have proven the beneficial effects of good deeds on a person’s general condition. When he gives time, money, food, clothing to those in need, willpower is trained. With the help of good deeds, a person engages in self-development and avoids many negative moments in life.

Muscle tension

Every time a desire arises to return to harmful things, you should strain your muscles (clenching your fists, training your abs, etc.) Thus, a person diverts his attention and activates willpower.

Healthy lifestyle

To facilitate the task of training volitional qualities, you need to focus on a healthy lifestyle. Of course, it is better to avoid fanaticism in this matter. It is recommended to at least give up junk food and include more vegetables in your diet. At least once a week, attend a fitness class and take a contrast shower. Hardening has a good effect on a person’s general health and trains his will.

Control over emotions

Communication with other people is useful for training willpower. At the same time, you should carefully control your emotional background and not cross boundaries in resolving conflict situations. It is important to learn to calm down quickly. To do this, you can give yourself some kind of reminder of control: a bracelet on your wrist, a note on the wall, a calming thing in sight, etc.

Saying “NO” to your laziness

A very useful skill is not to put off until later what you can do right away. If you don’t want to wash the floor, you still need to go and do it. If you don’t want to tidy up your clothes, take them and put them back in their places. And so it is in all matters. This exercise is the best way to train willpower. Especially if things are not the most pleasant. But productivity increases right before your eyes and a lot of time is saved. Maintain a sleep schedule.

Good sleep is the key to a successful day

It helps strengthen the body and brings strength to fight laziness. It is important to show your strong-willed qualities and start going to bed at the same time. Then the climbs will become easier. You need to spend at least 7-8 hours a day sleeping.

All of the above exercises help train willpower. Much of this will become easier every day. Just don’t give up halfway and give up everything. When something doesn't work out, it's important to try again and again. They say about such people that they have an “iron will.”