Increase Your Willpower: 9 Mind Hacks for Better Self-Control

Have you already abandoned your New Year's resolutions? Maybe you need a refresher on how to stick to your goals and avoid succumbing to your worst temptations and unproductive habits. No matter where you are in life right now, all of us can benefit from increasing our sense of willpower.

Willpower is like a muscle that needs to be worked out. Not push it hard enough and it will never improve. On the other hand, overwork it too much and you will burn out quickly.

Make your environment conducive to exercising willpower. Your sense of willpower tends to decrease when you're in a bad mood, sleep-deprived, unhealthy, and working in a disorganized, dimly lit environment.

You can also incorporate several mental hacks to increase your will power and decrease your likelihood of yielding to your unproductive habits. For example, instead of telling yourself that you will never eat junk food, simply tell yourself that you will eat junk food "tomorrow" as opposed to "right now."

Click on image to enlarge.