Don't Waste Your Will Power

Don't waste your will power on things you can't change.

We all have a limited amount of mental energy to spend on denying ourselves things we want, even if we know they aren't good for us.

If we squander that energy on things we can't change, we'll have none left for those things we actually can improve.

Here's a step-by-step approach to getting the most bang from your mental buck.

1. Make a list of all those things about yourself you'd like to change.

2. Honestly determine how hard each is to change. Use a rating of 1 to 5. 1 is easy, 5 impossible.

3. Gauge how much mental mettle you have: Start by trying to change the easies thing. If you succeed, move on to the next and on again until your will-power gives in.

(If you can't even hold out for the easiest thing, give up now and have a good life, rather than beating on your own dead horse.)

4. The more little things your will-power can change, the less of a drain on your mental energy. So, as your list dwindles, you'll find you are able to conquer even more bad habits with renewed vigor.

5. Eventually you'll reach a point where some things just won't budge and your will-power caves. For those, give up for now, but not forever. Everything changes in time. Try again later and you may find you or the situation has altered and you have greater success in the future.

6. Repeat this process every month, making an new list and going at it from the bottom up. If after a few months, you still can't change some things, take them off the list until New Year's Day and try again.

(Seeing failures on your list all the time drains mental energy, so remove the ones that won't budge and revisit them later when you are more buoyed by your successes).

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