The myth of self-control
Psychologists say using willpower to achieve goals is overhyped. Here’s what actually works.
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Why You Procrastinate (It Has Nothing to do With Self-Control)
Procrastination is a self-reinforcing cycle. The more you stall important work, the more you’ll continue to do so. Yet procrastination doesn’t result from a dearth of motivation or productivity; it manifests from a failure to regulate negative emotions. If you are mired in a chronic procrastination cycle, journalist Charlotte Lieberman helps you dig your way out. She interviewed an array of psychologists, authors and professors to figure out how best to end the self-destructive cycle. Lieberman provides a range of tips to guide procrastinators into a more positive frame of mind.
«“Procrastination is an emotion regulation problem, not a time management problem,” said Dr. Tim Pychyl, professor of psychology and member of the Procrastination Research Group at Carleton University in Ottawa.»
Why willpower is overrated
Psychologists increasingly think effortful restraint is not the key to the good life. So what is?
Wish you had more self-control? You should hear the downsides
Many people wish they had the advantages of more self-control. But fewer know that the trait can be costly, too
«heightened expectations for the high self-control person, leading them to feel more burdened by the reliance that others have on them»
Why Rich Kids Are So Good at the Marshmallow Test
Affluence—not willpower—seems to be what’s behind some kids' capacity to delay gratification.
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.»
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