Kory Zimney picked up Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal's book "The Willpower Instinct" because he thought it might help him better understand his patients.
Willpower is the ability to resist short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals. With more self-control would we all eat right, exercise regularly, avoid drugs and alcohol, save for retirement, stop procrastinating, and achieve all sorts of noble goals?
What you need to know about willpower: The psychological science of ...
Willpower: An Introduction Many people believe they could improve their lives if only they had more of that elusive quality known as willpower. With more self-control, we would all eat right, exercise regularly, avoid drugs and alcohol, save for retirement, stop procrastinating and achieve all sorts of noble goals.
Willpower is the ability to resist short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals. Some might simply describe it as delaying gratification for a specific purpose. People use willpower every day, in one form or another, whether it is resisting the urge to surf the Web when there is work to do or choosing a salad for lunch instead of a burger.
The 2012 report "What you need to know about willpower: The psychological science of self-control" and accompanying survey are part of APA’s Mind/Body Health campaign, educating the public about behavioral science, the connection between psychological and physical health, and how lifestyle and behaviors can affect overall health and wellness.
Strengthening Self-Control A large body of research has been developed in recent years to explain many facets of willpower. Most of the researchers exploring self-control do so with an obvious goal in mind: How can willpower be strengthened? If willpower is truly a limited resource, as the research suggests, what can be done to conserve it?