What is willpower?
Let's figure out what willpower is. The concept of “will” is interpreted by psychologists as the ability and ability to act in accordance with the decision made, to direct one’s own thoughts and efforts in the right direction without unnecessary thinking.
Willpower is perseverance and the ability to resist external and internal reasons, see the goal and go towards it along the chosen path, without being distracted or stepping aside. A person with willpower is able to make quick, balanced and correct decisions.
The basis of willpower, according to psychologists, is the conscious self-regulation of actions and deeds. Willpower presupposes both the ability to perform an action and the ability to refuse to perform an action.
Many experts equate the concept of willpower with the concept of “self-control.” Here it becomes clearer that a person who has self-control has a greater chance of achieving success and achieving goals than one who does not have this quality.
Self-control functions are concentrated in the frontal lobe of the brain. Therefore, pathologies of the frontal lobe almost always lead to disruption of this function and a change in behavior. The presence and level of development of willpower depend on both genetic data and the level of development of the human mental system.
Quotes about strong character
Aphorisms and sayings of famous writers and philosophers become mottos in life for many people, helping to overcome difficult periods. Quotes about strong character:
- A strong character must be combined with flexibility of mind (L. Vauvenargues);
- Man himself is the final creator of his character (L. Lopatin);
- A strong character, like a strong stream, encounters an obstacle, only becomes irritated and intensifies even more, but at the same time, having overturned the obstacle, it creates a deep channel for itself (K. Ushinsky);
- Character consists of the ability to act according to principles (I. Kant);
- Talents are formed in peace, characters are formed amid the storms of life (I. Goethe).
How to cultivate willpower
In this case, is it possible to cultivate willpower in oneself and how to do this? Despite the fact that genetics plays a role in the development of self-control, it is still possible to cultivate willpower, but by putting some effort into this activity.
The result, of course, will not be in an hour, but after a long period of time, but it is worth it. Developing willpower is a step towards health, success, stability.
After all, willpower cannot develop only in one industry. For example, a person cannot be strong in one matter and follow the chosen path, and in another, give up and go with the flow. In fact, the education of will is a complex and contradictory process. It may only seem at first glance that there is nothing special about it, everything is simple and clear. But when it comes down to it, not many succeed.
On the path to developing willpower, a person encounters moments every day that lead him astray from his chosen path.
For example, someone who decides to lose weight constantly sees photographs of food, meets people chewing, smells delicious smells, etc. Out of nowhere, friends appear, whom they have not seen for a hundred years, and invite them to a restaurant or to a home feast. Relatives will definitely have an anniversary or wedding that cannot be missed, etc.
It is difficult to develop willpower in such conditions. But this will work for those who are ready to follow the decision made and will not succumb to persuasion and provocation. After all, most often people do not believe in the willpower of another person, partly because they themselves do not possess it. Therefore, they do not want someone from the environment to suddenly become stronger in spirit and show restraint.
Here it begins:
- Well, eat one piece, it won’t make you worse,
- Well, it's not high in calories,
- Well, I have 50 years once in my life, and you don’t want for my health,
- you’ll start on Monday/after the New Year/after 8th Mat,
- I tried, I cooked, but you refuse to eat,
- you don't respect me, etc.
It can be really difficult to resist in difficult moments, bearing the burden of depression or fatigue. That’s why people break down, give in, and push away the opportunity to become better now.
Getting rid of old things
You definitely need to get rid of old things that are dragging you down. Those things that you haven’t used for several months should either be given to someone or thrown away. The same applies to people, if you do not communicate with a person and it is unlikely that he will be useful to you, then you need to boldly part with him. And don’t worry about those things and people you broke up with. Remember that there will be many useful and necessary acquaintances in your life. You just have to wait.
It is also imperative to part with those people and things that make you sad and remind you of something unpleasant. If you get rid of negativity in time, you will be able to find harmony and focus on what you really need.
You need to give up everything that you don't need. And you shouldn’t think about leaving this or that thing. You need to understand that you need to live in the present and make room in your life for the present, getting rid of the old and unnecessary.
How to develop willpower
How to develop willpower and learn to resist the temptations around you? You should understand the algorithm of actions. For example, a person decided to lead a healthy lifestyle. The basis of this decision is the intention, which aims to achieve health. To achieve the goal, you need to streamline your daily routine, nutrition, exercise, proper sleep, and giving up bad habits.
Opposed to this intention is the habit of violating a healthy lifestyle: eating fast food, skipping workouts or not playing sports at all, smoking, drinking alcohol, not following a daily routine and sleep.
This is where the confrontation between body and brain begins. Since changing the habits to which the brain is accustomed is more difficult than listening to the needs of the body. The emotions that a person experiences when smoking a cigarette, drinking alcohol, eating a burger or cake instantly increase the level of joy hormones, understand the mood and improve well-being (albeit temporarily).
The emotions that a person will experience when giving up all this will be the opposite. Accordingly, the level of stress and irritability will increase, weakness and reluctance to do something will come.
It is very difficult to overcome these feelings. You need to tune in in such a way that all this will become natural during the transition period. Adaptation to a new regime and new habits for a person lasts on average three weeks.
After this period has expired, the person begins to overcome emotions and begins to realize the significance of the step taken.
In the case of a healthy lifestyle, a person who lasts 21 days actually develops an understanding of what is happening due to the changes that begin. In 21 days, weight loss, sleep restoration, addiction to sports and training, improvement of complexion and other external and internal changes begin.
Take action!
Now that you know how to cultivate a strong character and what traits you need to develop in yourself first, you have only one thing left to do - start taking action! Let's not hide the fact that self-education is not easy - no one is more inclined to do us concessions than we ourselves! Our mistakes are especially unsettling. Every time we take even a small step in the wrong direction, it almost feels like the end of the world. But! – we have already talked about the need to keep our excessive feminine emotionality in check. Such thoughts will not allow us to achieve good results. Mistakes are inevitable, because we know that “only the one who does nothing makes no mistakes,” and “the one who walks will master the road.” In order not to despair when making mistakes, you must remember that you must always:
- Try it again
It is impossible to tell how many times you need to try again to build character. You have to do it until you can achieve your plan. You will never know what you are capable of if you give up trying at the first failure. How many times does a small child need to fall to learn to take his first steps? How long did great athletes train before setting their records? How many unsuccessful opuses did great composers or writers write before they became world famous? How much suffering does a person endure before finding true love? How many times did the young ballerina fall before she learned how to do fouetté? You will never know your strengths if you don't try to develop them. The very act of trying strengthens your will, creating faith in future success and building character.
- Accept defeat, but never give in to it
You will never understand how to develop strong character until you learn to overcome failure. Those people who have faced defeat and overcome it have the strongest will. After a long series of failures, they are able to try again. As a rule, any of them can say: “The day I was ready to give up, I decided to try again...” Did you know that Edison made 3,573 resoundingly unsuccessful attempts before inventing the light bulb? It was deafening - sometimes his experiments ended in explosions and fires. But the resilient inventor, when asked how he was able to survive so many failures, cheerfully answered: “But now I know 3573 ways NOT to invent the light bulb!” Indeed, failure is the path to achieving truth!
- Eliminate any negative influence on you
Who among us has not experienced the pain of hearing criticism directed at us instead of support from friends or loved ones? Probably many have encountered this. There will always be someone who will try to prove that your plans are unreasonable. Try to ignore the opinions of such people on this matter. There is no need to argue with them, there is no need to prove anything. Just try to stop all conversations with them on this topic. You must follow your chosen path yourself, because no one can live your life for you. So, only listen to constructive criticism that will truly help you learn and grow as a person.
- Make a plan to work on yourself
Write down what you want to change about yourself and when. Set specific goals for yourself: get rid of such and such a shortcoming, develop such and such a habit.
- Change your vocabulary as soon as you plan to develop character
Avoid the words “can’t”, “if”, “maybe”. These words carry the stamp of uncertainty. By saying them, you are unwittingly programming yourself for certain failure.
How to train willpower
It is possible to train willpower, scientists have proven this more than a dozen times. And there are a lot of people who were able to become stronger.
Discipline and self-control must take the lead in this training, otherwise a person will not be a winner. Only constant control over thoughts, actions, and monitoring of results can lead a person to the chosen goal and train willpower.
When there is an understanding of the goal and an intermediate result, the development of willpower is more productive. A person has the opportunity to focus on the changes that have already occurred and receives hope that if he continues on the chosen path, he will achieve his goal.
When there is no result for a long time, motivation disappears, and it becomes increasingly difficult for a person to cultivate willpower. At this stage, many break down, give up what they started and return to their previous behavior and previous life.
If you don’t learn to make a choice between what you should do and what you want to do, willpower will never be developed, no matter how sad it may sound. When someone losing weight doesn’t know how to negotiate with themselves and eats what they shouldn’t, they don’t lose weight. There is no willpower. When you really want to eat something, but a person stops himself, the level of willpower increases, and the level of weight decreases.
Characteristic
A person with a strong will is distinguished by patience and endurance. He is able to persistently move towards his dream, even if it is difficult and painful for him. And even if the long-awaited goal does not loom ahead and nothing foreshadows its fulfillment. He is confident in the correctness of his actions, in his life philosophy and strictly adheres to his own rules, maintaining consistency for years. That’s why strong-willed people are called stable and stubborn.
Due to the fact that he rarely listens to the opinions of others, it is sometimes impossible to convince him of something; a strong argument gives a chance for this, the only thing he will pay attention to. The character of a strong-willed person is characterized by determination and the ability to take risks, as well as a willingness to sacrifice his personal interests for the sake of the interests of the society in which he is located. That is why such people are often called heroes and monuments are erected in their honor, medals and certificates are given out.
If you want to determine your level of willpower, you can take the test.
How to cultivate fortitude
How to cultivate fortitude and how does it differ from willpower? In practice, these concepts in everyday speech have the same meaning. But if you look at it, there are still differences.
“Spirit” (strong, weak) characterizes a person and explains his behavior. A strong-willed person is in many cases perceived as a person with a stable psyche, balanced character and established self-esteem.
A person with a weak spirit is characterized as a weak-willed creature who does not have his own opinion, follows everyone’s lead and is incapable of decisive action.
There is a difference with willpower. Many people associate the concept of willpower with a person’s physical characteristics. The one who has it looks strong, athletic, fit. Anyone who does not have willpower suffers from excess weight, illness and has an unhealthy appearance.
Laziness and apathy, reluctance to do something, rapid decline are signs of weakened willpower. The person seems interested and even needs to do something, but he cannot come to an agreement with himself, he is too lazy. The lack of willpower is obvious. A person procrastinates, puts things off, abandons plans in favor of habits (lying down, watching a movie, sleeping).
And vice versa, when, instead of lying in bed for an extra hour, a person gets up and goes for a run, he educates himself and increases his willpower. When, instead of smiling sweetly when being bullied, a person openly says that he does not like this attitude, he develops fortitude and raises self-esteem.
The commonality of willpower and fortitude is united by discipline. It is this that underlies the strengthening of self-control and its compliance.
Who is a strong-willed man?
Adolescence crisis in psychology - what is it, reasons
A man's strong-willed character must develop from the time he was a child. In psychology, strong-willed character traits predetermine a strong-willed individual capable of decisive action in any area of life. In many ways, they determine a person’s masculinity. Men can rightfully be called strong-willed people if they are practically the canonical image of a breadwinner.
To be strong-willed means to be responsible
To be a strong-willed man means to be able to make decisions, in short, to be responsible. The definitions of most elements of a strong-willed personality personify what is called an ideal man. He knows the value of himself, the people and objects around him. Acts according to his conscience, regardless of anyone’s opinion, if he is sure that his choice is most suitable for solving a particular problem. A strong-willed man is the most suitable example of a strong, sensible, morally stable person.
How to develop discipline
How to develop discipline while strengthening willpower and fortitude? Everything will have to be done at the same time, since it will not be possible to do such things separately. There is no way to strengthen willpower without discipline.
Discipline underlies diet, giving up bad habits, playing sports, attitude to work, and decision-making. If you control yourself and take responsibility for your appearance, health, and standard of living, you will definitely develop willpower.
The only disadvantage of the situation is that it cannot be achieved once and fixed for life. If a person has lost weight but stopped following the regime, he will gain back the lost kilograms with interest. If you quit smoking but decide to try again, the habit is likely to return.
Willpower must be trained daily and constantly. Monitoring behavior, nutrition, habits, thoughts, controlling everything and doing what needs to be done - these are the main conditions for the presence and existence of willpower.
Breakdowns, abandoning something started halfway, returning to the past are signs of a lack of willpower due to a lack of self-discipline.
Strong character - examples
Strength of character and strong will allow people to perform heroic deeds, change society for the better and leave a memory of themselves for many centuries. In the history of mankind there are many examples of such people with strong character:
- Mikhail Lomonosov
. A Russian scientist from a poor family, his passion for knowledge was his guiding star, overcoming hardships and hardships he achieved great heights in his life and did a lot for his country. - Walt Disney
. The famous American animator was raised by a tyrant father, and at the age of 12, Walt promised himself that he would become a famous animator; his determination and strength of character led him to create his own studio for the production of animated films. - Sylvester Stallone
. An excellent example of a strong character, it would seem that fate presented him with only hardships, starting from birth, when the newborn Sylvester’s facial nerves were damaged and subsequently all his desires and ambitions were realized through incredible trials, but today Stallone is where he is - successful and loved by his fans . - Oprah Winfrey
. A well-known TV presenter with a strong unfeminine character, but who knows how to be feminine, she has gone through a lot: violence, drugs, deprivation, but all this only strengthened her.
Look for people with similar aspirations
Nothing will help you develop character and rise higher and higher in self-development than communicating with people who will become like-minded people. In times when you may be facing failure, they will be able to find the right words to prevent you from sinking into despair. When you achieve even the smallest goal, they will rejoice with you in your success and inspire you to new achievements. If something doesn’t work out for them, you can always give them a helping hand. What you can do alone will be much less than what will be possible when you combine your efforts.
