“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not
an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle.
Success is a lot of small things done well, day after day. What
seems like an overnight success is usually a very long time in the making.
Success is created by people who establish the right habits, then execute them
over and over. So I wanted to share with you some habits that have been
scientifically proven to give incredible willpower!
1. Meditation: Meditation is the fastest and most effective
way to increase your willpower. By meditating you are training the brain to
focus and resist the urge to wander. Research shows that after just 2-3 days of
practicing meditation for 10 minutes, your brain will be able to focus better,
you will have more energy, and you will be less stressed. There are a lot of
myths surrounding meditation, like burning incense, chanting, wearing robes,
etc. So let's start by explaining what meditation really is. Meditation is
simply the practice of bringing your thoughts to the present moment.
About 47% of our lives are spent either reminiscing about
the past or thinking about what we are going to do in the future. We spend very
little time with a clear, focused mind on what we are doing right now. Meditation
attempts to do just that. This is usually done by sitting upright in a room
that is clear of distractions and focusing solely on your breathing. However,
it can be achieved with any activity that brings your full focus and attention.
For example, if you are completely focused on the task of cleaning dishes;
without mentally going over your day, pondering another problem in your head,
or thinking about what you will be doing next, you can achieve a state of
meditation. If your mind is clear and focused completely on the present task,
you will see the benefits of meditation.
2. Eat A Low Glycemic Diet: When the body takes in food, it
creates a chemical known as glucose that travels through the blood stream. This
is what the brain uses as its source of fuel to think, create, and exert
willpower. So to ensure a healthy stock of willpower, we have to make sure our
brain has enough glucose to use as energy. Any food that contains calories will
give your brain glucose to work with. But not all glucose is created equally.
Sugary foods will cause a quick spike of glucose, giving you willpower fuel for
the short-term, but will cause a subsequent crash that depletes your willpower
just as fast. The best thing you can do is keep the glucose level in your
bloodstream steady. This will give your brain a consistent reserve of fuel to
exert willpower for the long-term. To accomplish this, researchers suggest a
low-glycemic diet. And the following are some low-glycemic foods that will give
you long-term willpower fuel.
3. Lean Proteins: Nothing fancy is required – just lean cuts
of beef, poultry, pork and fish.
4. Nuts: Specifically those nuts, that are high in omega-3
fatty acids like walnuts, pecans and cashews. (Note: this does not include
legumes like peanuts).
5. Fresh Fruit: Fresh fruit is preferred over dried fruit
because dried fruits have a high concentration of sugar in them. This will
result in the glucose spike for the short term and lead to a subsequent crash.
Some good choices are bananas, blueberries, apples and cherries.
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