About This Talk
Chris opens a three-part series on willpower by laying the foundation: what it is and what it isn’t. He describes it as a skill most of us develop rather than one we’re born with, built by training the mind and doing the work a little at a time. He asks listeners to start this week by bringing their habits into awareness and learning to pause before they choose.
Key Ideas
- Willpower is the ability to delay gratification, resisting short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals.
- It isn’t about grinding it out: your mind gives out before your body, so train your mind first.
- Habits run on neural pathways that strengthen with repetition, and because we play how we practice, every decision we want to change is game day.
- Before giving in, weigh a few minutes of pleasure against living the rest of the day with what you didn’t want.
- Pick three things to avoid or start doing, and pause for 30 seconds before each choice to train your brain to look before you leap.
“I try not to do anything that’ll make me feel good for 15 minutes or less.”
January 31, 2022 - Mindful Monday presented by Chris Masiello, President and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate