Work With Your Willpower

Willpower is a fickle, slippery beast. It seems the more you try to hold on to it, the more it squirms and wiggles its way out of your grasp. The truth is that we all have willpower, but some of us are better able to access it when it is most needed.

Willpower takes energy, both the emotional kind and the physical (it actually depletes glucose levels in the brain). As a result of this energy expenditure, we only have so much willpower to utilize on a daily basis. You can plan ahead to set yourself up for success by limiting the times that your willpower will need to be accessed. We can generally resist temptation for a while, but can only hold off for so long.

When it comes to diet, do not keep junk foods in the home. Or, if you must keep these enticing treats around, keep them out of sight. This will keep your willpower from being activated on a frequent basis and leave it for when it is really needed.

How else can you structure your immediate environment to reduce the strain on your willpower?

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Create Your Own Advertising

We are constantly bombarded with messages from food companies about what they think we should be eating. They paper our computers, televisions, billboards, and even our t-shirts with their messages. Do you give your messages the same about of space and attention?

A Hamburger, fries, and a coke from a fast-food restaurant. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Why do we give the power to decide what we read, see, and hear over to others? Why do we let huge corporations tell us what to eat? Try taking control of your own advertising; surround yourself with the messages that you want to read, see, and hear.
Think like a marketer; how can you place reminders and suggestions in your environment that will encourage you to consume the foods that you want to eat? Can you display fruits and vegetables (or at least pictures of them) in your kitchen? Can you organize the display cabinet marauding as your pantry to showcase the healthiest foods? If you’re prone to stops at fast food restaurants, can you create your own healthy mini-billboard in your car to encourage you to make better choices?

Be your own advertiser and take control of what you consume. No new degrees required.

Key to Success: Always Have a Backup Plan

We are scheduled to run the Peachtree Road Race tomorrow, a 10 K run that is an Atlanta institution. The good news? The normal highs in the 90s have been replaced with temperatures in the 70s. The bad news? It may be more of a swim than a run.

As long as the race is not canceled, we will be there. We’ll adjust to the weather by wearing our Vibrams that don’t get soggy and making sure that we bring hats made of quick dry fabric to try to keep the downpour out of our eyes. In this case, the backup plan is to continue with the race just modify our clothing.

Whenever I’m asked for the keys to succeeding in any health or wellness initiative, having a backup plan is always the first strategy that comes to mind. It’s easy to make promises to yourself:

I’m going to walk at least 3 miles every day.

I’m going to eliminate all sugar from my diet.

I’m going to do an hour of yoga every day.

I’m going to prepare all my meals for the week on Sunday.

But what happens when life intervenes?

I’m going to walk at least 3 miles every day.

There’s a thunderstorm during your walking hour.

I’m going to eliminate all sugar from my diet.

You’re invited to a birthday party.

I’m going to do an hour of yoga every day.

You’re sick and the thought of down dog makes you nauseous.

I’m going to prepare all my meals for the week on Sunday.

You went on a weekend trip and didn’t come back until Sunday night.

Without a backup plan, these speed bumps become stop signs. In the moment, it is easy to allow yourself to become derailed and discouraged. If, however, you think ahead and brainstorm (okay, maybe not the best word with the current weather situation in the SE!) potential roadblocks and their solutions, it makes it easier to adjust on the fly.

I’m going to walk at least 3 miles every day.

There’s a thunderstorm during your walking hour.

Possible backup plans: do an exercise video, go to the gym, walk the hallways at the mall, locate an indoor track, go to an indoor trampoline park

I’m going to eliminate all sugar from my diet.

You’re invited to a birthday party.

Possible backup plans: eat beforehand so that you’re not hungry, bring a dish to share that also meets your needs, only attend for the non-food portion of the festivities

I’m going to do an hour of yoga every day.

You’re sick and the thought of down dog makes you nauseous.

Possible backup plans: do a restorative yoga session that uses props and gentle poses, meditate instead, take to time to locate a new yoga class or video and commit to it on the day you feel better (i.e. cue the video or make a reservation for the class)

I’m going to prepare all my meals for the week on Sunday.

You went on a weekend trip and didn’t come back until Sunday night.

Possible backup plans: prepare meals the week before that can be frozen and thawed, trade cooking duties for the week with a friend, choose very easy recipes with nonperishable items that can be purchased beforehand

Of course, there will always be times when something will not work, no matter how many backup ideas you have. That’s okay. The idea is to think outside the box so that you don’t give up when you can go around. The more backup plans you have, the more likely you will be to establish a new, healthy habit in your life.

As for me, I plan to run the Peachtree tomorrow. Now, I need to plan what I’ll do if the lightening or flooding puts a halt to the event. Maybe snorkel instead?:)

English: 2007 peachtree road race crowd shot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)