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1-Page Summary of The Willpower Instinct

Overview

Why is willpower so important? It’s because people with stronger willpower are happier, healthier, more successful and make more money. They even live longer. In other words, if you want to improve your life in any way, developing strong willpower should be a good place to start.

In The Willpower Instinct we are told that when dieting, you shouldn’t deprive yourself of your favorite foods. We also learn in the book that if you tell people they don’t have prejudices, they will act more prejudiced towards others.

Finally, the author will show you how to improve your willpower by keeping sweets in your line of sight. This is for your own good.

Big Idea #1: Willpower consists of three forces: I will, I won’t and I want.

Life is full of temptations. You may be offered a chocolate chip cookie right after you’ve started a diet, or find a pack of cigarettes just as you’ve resolved to quit smoking. These situations are willpower challenges—challenges in which your immediate desires fight with your long-term goals.

So, why are you able to control your emotions in these situations?

Willpower is the ability to do what you should when your body wants something else. It’s made up of three powers: “I won’t”, “I will”, and “I want”. The first power, “I won’t”, gives us the strength to resist temptations that lead nowhere.

This power covers the common conception of willpower: the ability to resist temptation. Temptation comes in many forms, whether it’s chocolate or cigarettes. It can be seen as an I won’t challenge that asks you if you have the strength to say no. You can determine your most important I won’t challenge by asking yourself which habit is hurting your health, happiness or career that you’d like to give up? The second element of willpower is your I will power – the ability to do what you dislike now for a better future. Your I will power helps with those tasks that are both unpleasant and necessary for achieving goals – studying, passing exams and getting a degree

If you want to improve your life, figure out which habit you need to stop putting off.

Finally, there’s the capacity to remember what you want and what’s truly best for you in the long-term. You can use this power when facing temptations by reminding yourself of your long-term goals that will help keep you on track.

You can find your “I want” challenge by asking yourself: What is the long-term goal that you would like to focus more energy on? Which immediate desires are keeping you away from it?

Big Idea #2: Meditating increases awareness and helps avoid distractions – which in turn boosts self-control.

These days, there are a lot of people who have trouble focusing on one thing. They can’t go through their day without checking their Facebook or Instagram accounts, for example.

You think you’re being risk averse, but it might not be that way.

When you are distracted, it is easier to give in to temptation because your mind is preoccupied. This was shown in a study where students were asked to remember a phone number while deciding whether or not they wanted fruit or chocolate as a snack.

Students who are distracted by thoughts of food choose chocolate more often than those who aren’t. However, there is a way to deal with distractions – meditation. Scientists have discovered that people who meditate have higher levels of grey matter in the regions of the brain responsible for self-awareness and attentional control. Meditation helps cultivate moment-to-moment awareness so we can be aware when we’re being distracted and refocus our energy back on what’s important.