10+ Best Articles on Willpower
The most useful articles on willpower from around the web—beginners to advanced—curated by thought leaders and our community. We focus on timeless pieces and update the list whenever we discover new, must-read articles or videos—make sure to bookmark and revisit this page.
Top 5 Willpower Articles
At a glance: these are the articles that have been most read, shared, and saved on willpower by Refind users in 2023 so far.
- Temptation bundling: stop procrastinating by boosting your willpower
- How to break unhealthy habits: Stop obsessing over willpower and focus on routines
- 3-2-1: Happiness, the opinions of others, and accepting the reality of slow progress
- To meet your goals, forget willpower and fill your toolbox
- The willpower paradox: when self-talk becomes counterproductive
How to ...?
How to break unhealthy habits: Stop obsessing over willpower and focus on routines
Understanding and changing the environment in which habits form is a critical step when it comes to breaking unwanted behaviors and forming healthy ones.
«Another path to habit change involves friction: in other words, making it difficult to act on undesirable habits and easy to act on desirable ones.»
How To Develop Unlimited Willpower
Feel like you're running out of energy? Your willpower may not have any limits at all, according to new research. Here's how to tap into limitless productivity.
Short Articles
Short on time? Check out these useful short articles on willpower—all under 10 minutes.
Temptation bundling: stop procrastinating by boosting your willpower
Temptation bundling is a productivity technique that involves combining an activity that gives you instant gratification, such as watching TV, with one that is beneficial but has a delayed reward,…
«trying to reply to important work emails while watching one of your favourite TV shows may not be the best combination, as your concentration levels are likely to be affected.»
To meet your goals, forget willpower and fill your toolbox
Achieving your goals has nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with using the right mix of psychological tools
3-2-1: Happiness, the opinions of others, and accepting the reality of slow progress
3 IDEAS FROM ME I. “Before you try to increase your willpower, try to decrease the friction in your environment.” II. “Your habits are how you embody a particular identity. When you make your bed,…
«Author Leo Tolstoy on the opinions of others: “If you care too much about being praised, in the end you will not accomplish anything serious.»
The willpower paradox: when self-talk becomes counterproductive
People using interrogative self-talk seem to perform better than those who use declarative self-talk. That’s the Willpower Paradox.
«The researchers wanted to understand the relationship between intention, motivation, and actual goal completion.»
Neuroscience (and a Tiny Dose of Emotional Intelligence) Reveals the Simple Trick to Break Nearly Any Bad Habit
Willpower not required.
«The key is to reflect upon the actual benefits derived from a habit.»
Long Articles
These are some of the most-read long-form articles on willpower.
This Is How To Quit Bad Habits Without Willpower: 3 Secrets From Neuroscience
We all want to quit bad habits. But we're going about it all wrong. In fact, bad habits don't exist. Let's look at the research and see what really works.
«When you say, “I wasn’t myself” that’s far more accurate than you ever thought.»
Why willpower is overrated
Psychologists increasingly think effortful restraint is not the key to the good life. So what is?
Good News! Your Willpower Isn’t Limited–Don’t Believe the “Ego Depletion” Theory
Ego depletion theory says that willpower uses a reservoir of mental energy. Psychologists have thought it's why we run out of willpower. Here's why I disagree.
«Just let that sink in–mindset mattered more than physical dependence! What we say to ourselves is vitally important. Labeling yourself as having poor self-control actually leads to less self-control.»
The myth of self-control
Psychologists say using willpower to achieve goals is overhyped. Here’s what actually works.
Publications
We monitor hundreds of publications, blogs, newsletters, and news sources in Willpower, including:
Nir Eyal
Bestselling author of "Hooked" and "Indistractable"
Ness Labs
The learning community for ambitious knowledge workers. Join us to think better, learn faster, and work happier: http://nesslabs.com/membership 🧠✨
Aeon+Psyche
Aeon is a magazine of ideas and culture. Psyche is our sister magazine focused on the human condition. Visit http://aeon.co and http://psyche.co for more.
Trello by Atlassian
Trusted by millions, Trello is the visual collaboration tool that creates a shared perspective on any project. ✏️ Need support? Go to: http://trello.com/contact
LifeHack
LifeHack helps busy people get the most out of their lives in the shortest amount of time, through actionable, step-by-step systems that multiply results.
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