Why Willpower Isn’t the Key
By: Samya Osman
Have you ever looked at someone and thought, "Wow, they’re so disciplined, they must have so much willpower. How do they do it?"
I’m here to tell you that it’s less about sheer willpower and more about creating a supportive environment. In Atomic Habits by James Clear, he states “When scientists analyze people who appear to have tremendous self-control, it turns out those individuals aren’t all that different from those who are struggling. Instead, ‘disciplined’ people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic willpower and self control. In other words, they spend less time in tempting situations. The people with the best self-control are typically the ones who have to use it the least.”
So, instead of beating yourself up over not having enough will-power, what if you focused on making the healthy choice the easiest choice?
Here are a few simple ways to make that happen:
Prep Your Veggies: After grocery shopping, take 10 minutes to wash, chop, and store your veggies in clear containers. Keep them front and center in your fridge so they’re the first thing you reach for.
Meal Prep: Preparing healthy meals or snacks in advance means you’ll always have a quick and nutritious option available, making it easier to skip processed foods or takeout. You don’t have to make it complicated, it can be as simple as batch cooking a few types of protein to mix and match into meals.
Keep Healthy Foods Visible: Place fruits, veggies, and other healthy snacks in easy-to-see spots, and keep the less healthy options tucked away. Out of sight, out of mind.
Set Up for Success: If you like to work out in the morning, lay out your workout clothes the night before. That way, all you have to do is slip them on when you wake up, no willpower required.
By creating an environment that makes healthy choices easy, you won’t need to rely on willpower nearly as much—and you’ll find that living healthily becomes second nature.
