The Willpower Instinct

OK, so I’ve been struggling recently to find enough willpower to do much more than get up, feed the animals and take care of the children. That’s due mostly to this lingering flu that just doesn’t seem to want to give up, but I seem to have enough energy to set goals, just not to do much toward actually achieving them. And that leads to frustration.

It also led to me putting off reading Dr. McGonigal’s The Willpower Instinct until almost the last minute even though it has been sitting on my desk for some time. Which is kind of funny given the subject matter. It’s about where our self-control comes from, how we sabotage our own efforts work toward our goals and how we can exercise our willpower “muscle.”

I enjoyed looking at willpower in a more scientific way and seeing some of the neurological processes involved in deciding to forgo a short term reward in order to reach a long term goal.

I’m even looking forward to going back and actually doing some of these exercises. But guess what? Your willpower is at its strongest when you are healthy and well-rested, so right now, I’m going to go back to working on the resting part.

What goals have you set and what obstacles do you put in your own path?

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.”