It's 1 p.m. and you’re hungry. You’re walking out of class as your thoughts drift towards food. What will it be this time? Crooked Crust? Chipotle for the second time this week? No – Whataburger. You can never go wrong with Whataburger.
You hop in your car and make the short drive to that orange and white roofed temple of taste. You swing into a parking spot and get ready to go inside when the first thoughts of doubt sneak into your mind. Should I really be eating out right now? I should just go home and cook. I want to lose ten pounds by the end of summer and I know this is not going to get me there. But a rumble from your stomach quickly dismisses your reservations and you walk through the door.
What happened? You knew that eating out wasn’t the best thing to do and you could have easily gone home and fixed yourself some food, but you chose not to and decided to give into your impulses instead. The missing factor was willpower.
Vince Lombardi, perhaps the greatest professional football coach ever, is quoted as saying that “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” This principal is demonstrated by the earlier example: you were totally capable of cooking for yourself, you knew eating out was not healthy, and yet you decided to eat out anyway because you lacked the willpower to tell yourself “no.” We have all been here before; I would not be writing this article if I did not have to remind myself to exercise willpower every day (the Whataburger example is from my own experience).
It now becomes pertinent to ask, what is willpower? It is not simply commitment, but exercising willpower allows you to be committed. It is not discipline, but exercising willpower begets discipline. Willpower refers to a person’s ability to stick to a particular course of action and not stray from that course no matter what. It is grit. It is determination. It is resolve. It is the force that turns the vision of the life you want to live into the reality of the life that you are living.
But it is not always easy to exercise willpower, in fact the opposite is true; it generally proves to be a challenge especially if you are not used to doing so. Willpower is the fuel that powers the engine that will propel you towards your goals, and just like starting an old car, it may take a few tries to get going. But just like anything else, the more you practice the easier it gets. About to reach for your second soda of the day? Try drinking a glass of water instead. Need a quick snack in between classes? Substitute an apple instead of that routine bag of chips. It will be difficult at first, and you may not always make the right choice, but it is little victories like these that provide the momentum to work towards larger achievements. No matter the goal, from healthier eating to better study habits or a team’s pursuit of the championship, even a nation’s attempt to pass new legislation, willpower is required.
In our society of 24 hour availability and culture of instant gratification, it is easy to become sidetracked. Stay the course. Take charge. Curb your impulse. Exercise your willpower and get things done. Our time on this earth is far too short to not be living our dreams, but we can only make that happen when we posses the will to do so.
