Willpower OR Willingness (video post).

by

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb3gYThvzNQ

What are your thoughts, oh Bumbling Band?

Do you possess the tremendous amounts of willpower I do not?

Are you, as I am, simply willing to do what it takes to reach your goal?

Or do you (as I kindasorta hope this blogger does) completely disagree with my entire take on the matter and have yet a third perspective to toss our way?

Please to hit us all up in the comments.

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Comments

  1. I think that’s a brilliant comparison of words of which needs to be thought about. Having been diagnoised with Candida and Celiacs all in about a two week period..my ‘willpower’ to not ‘rebel’ and eat things I can’t process has honestly been tested. It’s silly to think about but it’s true. I think that your concept of willingness to not indulge in certain things or consume certain things. When I don’t eat certain things I feel a lot better because my body is able to process them correctly. I think..REALLY like the concept of ‘I am willing to not eat certain foods because it gives me the quaility of life I want to lead’. It gives control and power into your food choices and decisions in life that are beyond ‘cutting it out’ because I am on a diet or trying to lose weight. It’s a lifestyle choice…and that’s what people should be striving for!

  2. I have a short attention span. For me it is a matter of being able to Focus. It is weird, I can actually forget I am on a diet or want to be healthy. I have the willingness but need to force my self to focus first.
    cheers

  3. Specifically to do with weight loss / maintenance I think it is a combination of,
    Self-knowing – recognising what is needed,
    Intelligence – to know what to do to succeed,
    Willingness – to give up, or hold back on some things,
    Strength – to keep up the movement and exercise,
    Willpower – to keep it up for an extended period.

  4. hmmm.
    I lack willpower.
    I need willpower.
    After watching your video I need to sit with the concept but I fear I am unwilling to do what it takes to lose the weight for the reasons I “need” to (mainly looks a little health) so I require POWER.

  5. I liked yesterdays post with the glimpse into your life and enjoyed the video with the insight into your husband’s mind/life.

    I have to say that I’ve wondered what he is like!

    I am really trying to be healthy and my girlfriend, for now, is not.

    Does Ren Man generally live and eat like you do?

  6. I don’t believe in willpower at all. That word is not allowed in my vocabulary. The notion of willpower doesn’t give us adequate recognition for our achievements. It almost suggests that we are succeeding just because we have this magical willpower when really it’s because of hard work, learning, changing and the willingness to accept that we need to do all these things.

    People then use “lack of willpower” as a reason to give up when things aren’t working out for them. As if anything could be that simple or straightforward!

  8. No offense taken, crazylady.
    I was kind of excited to see someone responded to me LOL.

    I think that this video is something I need to think about for longer than a morning as my current method is not working.

    I need to shift my mind to being willing.

    Miz? HELP??

  9. Willingness is when you patiently follow the girlfriend from store to store, like she’s controlling you with an emotional leash, while she adorns herself with enough clothes to restock a large concessionary (and ponder that time in clothes stores is twisted and inconsistent with physics, as it oozes like a snail inside whilst outside time rushes like a lamborghini). 🙂

    Willpower is throwing yourself from an airplane when every thought but one is demanding of every brain cell to sit down and close down for the day. You encourage the one and jump.

    That’s my opinion this morning on willpower and willingness. I should probably ease off the coffee.

    Thanks
    Jens

  10. Wow, I love the reframe–‘Willingness” is such a much more positive concept!

    It occurs to me that “willingness” is how it feels to me for the more habitual healthy choices I make, that aren’t so tough. But when a novel temptation comes along, or I’m feeling self indulgent, regular “willingness” isn’t quite enough and I need to force a good decision with brute “willpower.”

    And sometimes I can’t summon enough willpower.

    Hmm, need to keep this reframe in mind when that happens, maybe focusing more on “willingness” and my goals might add more “power” to my commitment to my goals.

    Great concept!

  11. I need to think about this more as I still believe (even after your great video :)) that I need will POWER to reach my goals.

    Being willing, for me, is not enough.

  12. This completely describes the feeling I’ve had about the issue. I used to try to do it by sheer will power, and that didn’t get me anywhere! But, lately I’ve been eperiencing the willingness to put myself first and to put my health needs first!

    It’s the same as making it a priority. You can’t just want it really bad (this is how I see will power…wanting it really bad), but you need to make it a priority. I think it’s the difference between having your food have the power (willpower) versus you realizing it’s all about you and that you are in control here (willingness). YOU make the decisions…good or bad!

  13. I can’t watch the videos at work but can kind of guess what you talked about.

    I saw your tweet about questions for the Ren Man and am curious as is Evan.

    I would ask (sorry Miz!) if you are annoying to live with?

    Are you too super healthy?

    😉

  14. To me willpower feels as though I am FORCING something.

    I had not thing of WILLINGNESS before.

    Thanks for making my brain hurt so early on a Monday 🙂

  15. I think it can be a bit of both – sometimes it just takes the brute force of willpower for me to make something happen. For those times when I know I’ve just got to get something done. Short-term solution.

    Long-term = willingness. This is much more that I’m “willing” to do it – as opposed to really just making it happen. When there’s willingness, that says to me that it’s something that’s much more likely to stick with me…

  16. I think it’s more a matter of priorities. If something (say health) takes precedence over something else (Law & Order marathons), I’ll go work out. Just because I’m willing to do something doesn’t mean it’ll get done.

    Willpower is only a short-term solution.

    I think it takes a sense of experimentation and trial and error to figure out the things that you can eat and not miss the bad for you things so much, as well as find the exercises that you’d be willing to do for the rest of your life.

  17. I love this:

    Willpower is only a short-term solution.

    I think that was ENTIRELY what I was attempting to say to the Ren Man in the grocery.

    and kim? evan? LOVE THE QUESTIONS for the husband.

    ***Ren Man is taking over next week—-Ill send them his way for his facetime!***

  18. I’ve been described as very persistent! (Perhaps with some %$*& adjective in there 🙂

    Willpower is like Mizfit’s muscles. She worked to achieve them!

  19. I think “willingness” is the root of “willpower” and that the two aren’t really distinguishable.

    If you have “willpower” it’s usually because you have the motivation of “willingness”. If you don’t have “willingness” then you’re trying to bluff your way through and it doesn’t work.

    People think “willpower” is some sort of magical thing you’re born with… like you can wake up one morning and say “today I’m going to NOT go to Starbucks for coffee.” and not go. People don’t do that. They don’t make changes in their life without motivation. They may say “The double latte I usually get every morning is cutting into my finances” or “I can’t afford to go out for coffee every day” or “If I save that money I can go to a Broadway play.”

    They don’t wake up and say “oh, today, just for the heck of it, I’m going to deprive myself”

    Willpower is just sufficient willingness.

    I have to disagree with those who think willpower is a short term solution. Every day you have to have the willpower (or sufficient willingness) to do what you need to do to succeed, whether it’s in business, dieting, fitness, raising children, or any other endeavor in life.

    Each of those activities is really a series of daily activities and choices that require sufficient willingness, sometimes to the point where you’re just saying “I know I need to do this, no matter how much I don’t want to.”

    I think at root of all this is the idea of what we “need” to do vs what we “want” to do. We use those words to prioritize things in our life, but there is nothing we are really compelled to do in any absolute sense. No one compels us to obey laws for example. We choose to obey laws because we don’t want the consequences of not doing so. The same is true of feeding our kids, going to work every day, and lowering our cholesterol.

    People tend to associate “need” with “willpower” and “want” with what you call “willingness”… but really, it’s just a matter of degree.

    Perhaps some of the stigma associated with “need” and “willpower” could be eliminated… along with the stress… if people were mindful of their real choice, and reward themselves for making a right choice so automatically in their life that it becomes unthinkable to do otherwise.

  20. If I relied on “willpower,” I could not not have lost weight or could not maintain it. It was all in the willingness – doing what it took/takes to keep my goals in the forefront of my decisions. Willpower doesn’t take trust in oneself like willingness does. And when we LACK willpower, we often turn that into a failing on our part and use it to degrade ourselves. NOT helpful.

  21. Interesting distinction, Miz.

    Seems to me, a lot of use “lack of willpower” as an excuse. If one has the “willingness” to change, the willpower will follow….

  22. Oops, should learn to check my spelling! Meant to say “a lot of us use the lack of willpower as an excuse.

    Must need more coffee………..

  23. Wow. I have never thought about it that way. Willpower does seem to have a bit of a negative connotation, in that you have to have will power to stop yourself from eating too many Doritos, lounging on the couch, etc. Thinking about it your way, though, is way more positive and proactive.

    I think I’ve been willing to go after my goals and do what I need to do, but I really wish I would be a little more willing to seek success!

  24. Most days…I have the Willingness to do what I need to do. I don’t think I have ever had Willpower which is why I can’t just eat ONE Lil Drumstick Ice Cream snack…I have to eat two.

  25. This was so fantastic I just went back and edited my post today to include a link to this! You said it so much better than I did. Agree with all of it!

  26. Willpower to me smacks of a struggle, a fight. I think determination is a better word, and that ties in better with willingness. When we are doing something we love, when we love ourselves enough to take good care of ourselves, there is no struggle and no need for willpower it would seem.

  27. I lack willpower entirely but am willing to do what it takes to set myself up for success as you say 😉

    I have the willingness not to bring things into my home I know I lack the willpower to resist.

    I have the willingness to join a gym and go.

    You’re awesome Miz.

    Great post.

  28. great question! my hubby and i were just discussing the same topic Friday night. i have no willpower whatsoever. i have to make a conscious decision to do what needs to be done to reach my weight loss goals all day every single day

  29. I hate this post 😉

    You have stripped me of my I have no willpower excuse.

    I need to own that I am unwilling or suck it up and become willing.

  30. i agree with your video post. i think a little willpower is necessary, but that amount is something we all have (why is willpower so mythical in our society?), and the rest is all just what you called willingness. of course, i also think willpower is something i only have a limited amount of a day, and i often spend it on studying. hehe.

  31. Willpower suggests force as though you are applying pressure to do something which may be against your will.
    Winningness speaks of agreement to do something. I think applying power works better when it’s something I’ve agreed to do.
    But I think it’s best to have both going. I can agree to exercise all I want, but if I don’t use willpower to get up and do it, then all I’ve got is agreement.

  33. I have to say for me is it all about the power.

    WillPOWER.

    I need to power through or I do nothing.

  34. Wow. This hit me right in the gut today (in a good way). I like the distinction a lot. I’d even take it a step further for myself and say that when I bypass examining my willingness and just try to do things through the brute force of willpower (not that it’s ever an issue for ME, no sir, huh-uh ;)), that’s when I fail most spectacularly. Willpower makes me think of a closed fist, and willingness makes me think of an open hand.

    Although, at the same time I kind of agree with FabKate (which might be a first; I always enjoy reading your opinions, FK, but I hardly ever agree! :)) about willingness being the root of willpower. But at the same time, sometimes a “reframing” (I hatehatehate that word) really does make the internal difference necessary to move forward.

    Hm. Lots to think about on a Monday morning . . .

  35. I haven’t read all the comments, so sorry if I repeat what has already been said. But maybe the problem lies in peoples’ definition of willpower. Willpower is hard to define, which makes it seem illusive. But maybe willPOWER is just willingness started over every single day. Just like grace, or forgiveness, or other such things, our mistake is in thinking it is a one time action, when really it is something we have to renew every morning.

  36. I think I have the willingness to do what I need to do, but lack the willpower to keep it up when it seems to not be working. My main enemy has and always will be frustration. If things are working and I’m seeing results, then I am totally willing to keep doing what works. My problems always result from not being able to see results.

  38. thanks for ALL your thoughts and insights as this is an evolving concept for me.

    (and thanks FabKate for stopping by and giving your always appreciated .02!)

    Im working my ass off to get a book published and this is the backdrop for one of the chapter.

  39. I love the term willingness as opposed to willpower, it’s so much more positive! Willingness implies that we have control over our behavior and our choices as opposed to willpower controlling us! Love it! I will be passing this along to my clients!

    ID BE HONORED. And then remind them to buy!my!book! please should it see the proverbial light of day 🙂 …..

  40. I really love that you shared a personal story here on top of yesterdays glimpse into your life.

    The personal is so revealing.

    It sounds to me as though you two have a cool dynamic. I like that your husband would say that to you and seems to admire you in a way.

    Alice

  41. I have been having a really hard time with myself lately. I made a committment to reform my life, starting with my diet. It has been the worst. I think that todays post is really the answer. I have not been willing to give up my protective coating. It is safe and warm. I am willing to risk exposing myself.
    Thanks again Miz

  42. Thank you MizFit I totally needed this post today! I agree with others that 1. willpower is short-term and 2. it is about forcing yourself to do something you may not want to do. This has backfired on me as I have lost and gained the same 5 pounds over and over again. Willpower/force brings out my inner rebel who at some point says: f*** you, I will not be controlled I will do what I want. That usually involves ice cream, chocolate and cake…sigh.

    I need willingness. Willingness to me is the kind of power that doesn’t disappear when the force is gone. I think of how I want my kids to make good choices in life. While they are young and around me a lot, I have a lot of control over them and can “force” them to make good choices. But if I never teach them the how/why of making good choices (give them the willingness), then as soon as I am not there (the force is gone) they will do whatever they want.

  43. Ka-ching! That’s the sound of a penny dropping… I realized about two years ago that willpower is totally overrated and that something else is needed. I just didn’t quite know what to call it. But you’ve nailed it! That’s exactly it!

  44. My first reaction to the beginning of this video was to laugh. Because this sounds like a conversation my mister and I could have. And, while I LOVE what you say about “willingness” because it is what I have always wanted to say, but never said so succinctly or well, I’m still guessing that if Ren Man said you have willpower, you’ve got that, too, whatever he meant by the word “willpower.”

    But using the word “willingness” does make that POWER more accessible…and it forces us to be honest with ourselves about what exactly we are lacking. Hmm– I look forward to seeing your chapter!

  45. I have always thought that I am ready, WILLING, and able to do what I set my mind to. Willpower…not so much. I am willing to do what needs to be done- nothing more!

    I do like the way willPOWER sounds 🙂

  46. Great distinction! I think you’re right- its about what we’re willing to do. And if we aren’t willing, then there’s not likely to be much enthusiasm and power.

  47. Someone up there said that they could forget they were on a diet. I can relate! It has happened to me way too often. I have resolved this by drawing an eye on my wrist and it helps me to focus on my goal! I have not strayed once and it will continue to be like this.
    all the best!

  48. Willingness to change, adapt, explore and challenge one self. I think this has been central to reaching my weight loss & fitness goals and to realizing this will continue to be an on-going and dynamic way of life.

    Great question, MizFit. ~thanks~

  49. Great video post. I’m not gonna get all into the semantics of words, but yeah, I definitely think it’s more about how willing you are to do what needs to be done—not necessarily willpower.

  51. I am WILLING to do whatever it takes to get the weight off, and keep it off.

    I have WILLPOWER when I am in situations where everyone else is eating the (fill in the blank) and I abstain.

    In another part of my life, we become WILLING to do certain things…maybe that’s why it made sense for me, this go-round, to become WILLING to lose weight. Hmmm……

  52. I like how you say you are willing to do what it takes (exercise and food) to live the life you want.

    This is a lot for me to think about as I think I know what life I want to live yet if I am unwilling to do what it takes—-is that truly what I want?

    Thanks for a thought provoking post.

  53. I have mixed feeling about this. When I was dropping pounds regularly, I dont think I had anymore willpower than I do now (when I am staling out). I think it was a matter of getting into the habit for a few days and then just NOT letting myself slip out. Is that willpower? I dont think so… it took a LOT of distracting myself to stay on track.

  54. Interesting distinction! I suppose I still look at ‘willpower’ as ‘WILLpower’ (as in I *will*) as opposed to… I don’t know, ‘WISHpower” maybe?

    Oooh, I wonder if someone already coined the term, ‘wishpower’. I could be a gazillionaire by nightfall! Wish me luck! 🙂

  56. I have never considered this. Have always had people admire my willpower -which i think is fairly weak. But willingness totally describes me.

    Thanks for giving me the right term to use in the future.

  57. I LOVE this distinction! People have said to me quite often, “I wish I had your willpower or your motivation,” and I usually respond by saying that if I relied on that, I wouldn’t have lost much weight at all! It’s all about willingness, about committing and sticking to it. I agree with others who have said that willpower gives people an excuse not to do what they wish they could. It’s like willpower is some sort of magic pill that will instantly turn you into someone who can resist every junk food and work out 2 hours a day. It’s just not realistic to expect that.

  58. After viewing the video, I was curious about what a dictionary would say about these two words. It defined “willpower” as “energetic determination.” Funny how loaded with negative connotation that word has become, even in my mind. “Willingness” had meanings of readiness and choice to it.

    Like BagLady, I first needed the *willingness* to make the changes (which, er, came from the intense *need* to make changes), and then I was able to stop thumbing my nose at willpower. From a health standpoint, that is; other areas of my life aren’t quite as charged that way.

  59. This was really interesting to me since everyone that knows me says that I have so much willpower to keep doing what I do both exercise & food wise. I also have friends say how “disciplined” I am.

    I started to think about this because I always thought of myself as having a lot of will power BUT maybe it is just the willingness AND discipline to do what I do. As others have said, I think willingness has a much more positive note to it & I will be telling friends of mine trying to lose weight & exercise to look at it as a willingness to do it.

    Although, like Crabby, sometimes when I just don’t feel like it, I feel that willpower take hold & I always feel better afterwards! Well, most of the time & that is where I can learn from Fabulous at 50!

    So, I think it will be willingness from now on & I do think some discipline falls in there. Lots of great responses today!

  60. I have a willingness to work out, but it definitely requires willpower to not shove every yummy looking goodie into my mouth.

    As might be guessed, I have no problem whatsoever getting in my workouts.

    The food intake requires more effort. I achieve maximum compliance (about 80%?) by focusing on what I SHOULD eat, not what I shouldn’t eat. (Says the woman who just had a mocha smoothie AFTER a heaping bowl of broccoli slaw.)

  61. I tell my clients that a life change only happens in one of two ways: either you enjoy it, or you reach the point where you realize there’s no other option. In other words, either you have the willingness or the willpower (some develop both!).

    Willpower is like a client who catches her/himself in the mirror one day and says, “I can’t live like this anymore. I will do whatever it takes to change.” And they do. They might hate running, but they start. They might loathe the gym, but they go. They might really, really want an ice cream sandwich, but they settle for all-natural yoghurt with cocoa and agave instead.

    Willingness is like my triathletes (and I definitely fall into this camp). They have done races and know they can do better, so they work out constantly. For my part, on the days when I don’t want to do my training, I don’t have a huge amount of discipline to say, “Let’s get ‘er done!” Instead, I skip a workout or two, until I reach the point when I remember how much I love it and how badly I want to improve/win and how much time and energy my rivals are probably putting in. Then I get fired up and dive back into training.

    I’m going to go out on a limb, here, and probably many will disagree (for all I know, I’m completely wrong, so please feel free to set me straight!): The people who do not have the willingness (i.e. they’ve found something that they love about exercise) or the willpower (they realize that it’s no longer optional and they HAVE to do it) fail. Until they find one of those things, they will forever be (like my mother) saying, “I really need to lose 30 lbs. I’m really going to get in shape one of these days. It’s gotten pretty bad. I need to do something about it.” And then they don’t do anything about it.

    That’s been my experience, anyway, as a coach and trainer.

  62. I don’t have huge chunks o’ willpower.
    I have willpower for this one minute of time.

    Looking up at the mountain I have to climb leaves me exhausted before I start. Concentrating on the next step is an achievable goal and I have the will and the power for that.

  63. All I know is I summoned all of the willpower I had to launch today.

    And a special thanks to the MizFit readers for all of their kind words and help with the survey (there were two winners! I will let Carla do the honors).

    If you all have time, please stop by and check me out…

    http://www.fatlossacademy.com

  64. Most of the time I have the willingness (mess?) but when that disappears, I try to move into willpower and sometimes I’m at a loss for both.

    I loved the other bloggers post too

  65. Oh Miz-
    You are good. I feel like you tap right into what I need to hear! I have always been one who thought I had no willpower or self control…but I am WILLING to do just about anything…I needed this message today of all days..as I reemerge into the blogoshpere..Gosh last time I was here, you were getting input on the TATs..and there they are..SO a HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY and they look great!!!! (as do you, always!)I have much catching up to do..and I look forward to spending some time on your blog recharging and refocusing. I am WILLING! Thank you MIZ!!!!

  66. I need to think about with this one as I am one of the few who are so all or NOTHING that if I don’t have willpower Id be even bigger than I am now.

    sigh.

  67. Hi Carla! Great question. My husband and I were talking about food and diet this morning too, weird. He is frustrated with me because he is a chef and believes that the foundation of good cooking is equal to a stick of melted butter. I told him we needed to find a happy medium so we could enjoy meals together.
    He was raised on soda and ‘treats’ and lots of Lebanese food (raw lamb, for example) I was raised on wild game and a huge vegetable garden.
    Being a recovered anorexic, I think I have used willpower both to starve myself and to learn to re-feed myself. But NOW, I can say with confidence, that in the past 5 years I have applied a joyful WILLINGNESS to eat healthfully and to approach my body with excitement about what it can do. There are certainly still days or meals or moments where I make choices that might involve a little willpower, but 95% of the time I know what my choice is, and it’s a pro-health, pro-body choice.
    My husband is slowly being broken down by my emerging healthy-self and I still dream that one day we’ll run our own health food cafe/gym, but first he needs to develop his own sort of willingness. It’s a process.
    Anyway, LOVE the new perspective; willingness!

  68. Love the distinction. I absolutely agree that willingess is a more appropriate word to describe me. I am happy to eat well and workout because I know it makes me feel great. I’m a horrible procrastinator at my job doing things I don’t like — genotyping comes to mind 😉

  69. For me, it took willpower and a tenacious fortitude to start. Later, as I don’t think willpower alone is enough, it switched to ‘willingness’. I love this sentence. Your point about needing to start with the power and move to the INGNESS. interesting perspective, Mary.

    That took a mindset change – changing my own perspecitves and attitudes. But, yes, I think it boils down to being willing and what you are willing to do and not do. That has changed for me as time goes on.

  70. Another gem of wisdom from you!!! I’ve always hated the term willpower because it refers to “controlling” your actions, especially in terms if holding back or keeping from doing something. I like the willingness idea better, it refers more to “choosing” and “wanting” to do something.

    In relation to eating, I’ve never thought in terms of “cutting the bad stuff out.” I’ve always thought of it as “adding more of the good stuff.” I think it’s the same idea with willpower and willingness, one has negative conotations, the other is more positive.

  71. Sorry didn’t have access to the video until now.

    I think I have willpower and decide to evoke it whenever necessary, but I have a willingness that comes from choice. So for me they go hand in hand that you have to have a willingness to change but you need to use willpower to render the change.

    For example you have the willingness to stay as active as your child, but need the willpower to choose the right foods so that you don’t become tired. I’m sure you would love to drown in a thick chocolate shake and have many pieces of your favorite desert, but your willpower to overcome the urges helps with your willingness to change that behavior and eat light and stay alert.

  73. I do not have willpower! I love the concept of willingness because willpower can decrease. Like if you have a cookie, your willpower is diminished or gone, and then what do you have – nothing, but lotsa cookies. With willingless though, you can have a cookie and be willing to stop at that and go about your business. Great video today!

  74. Hm, I have also just come across this idea in some of my recent reading and I think it is the willing-ness that helps me get through the day, and the willpower that helps to keep me on track. Willpower kicks in in short bursts, but attention (to myself) and dedication (to my long term goals) are what keep me going in the big picture!

  75. Rewatched the video this morning as I work to get myself back to the gym and back on track.
    While I would prefer WILLINGNESS Ill take EITHER at this point.

  76. There is no such thing as willpower. People want it to exist, and rightfully so. The truth is, everyone has decisions. Some make great decisions, and some make poor decisions. At the end of the day, the winner makes the best decisions. It is not about strength, it is about wanting. How bad do people want it?

  77. Thanks for the thoughts! I’ve never heard it put that way. And I do think it is true – willingness comes first, but I still think you need some “willpower” at times. For instance, I’m very willing to change my lifestyle and become healthier. However, that’s not going to carry me through when someone passes a plate of my favorite chocolate chip cookies in front of me – that takes “willpower” or “self-control” (to me, basically the same thing) to avoid. Although it is “willingness” that helps me to have the necessary “willpower.”

  79. I have a post cooking on this too.

    I think for me, when I am considering workouts, it’s just a simple fact. I know I feel great after them, and I love the side effects (weight loss, energy, muscles, health, etc). I’ve never regretted getting me arse up and doing a workout. However, when I SKIP what I’m supposed to do, I feel guilty unless it’s for a good reason and/or make plans to make it up later in the week. For a lot longer than it takes me to simply get my hiney in gear and get it done. So considering the options, it’s a no brainer, put on the shoes, get out the door, and do it.\

    Most days though, it’s not so hard.

    Food control though…completely different animal. Haven’t quite wrapped my brain around that as much. I like to play with fire there (I can just have a few of these) and sometimes I get burned (sometimes a few becomes a few more than I’d like).

  80. I don’t know what it was that started me out, I think it may have been a mixture of both at times. But once I got on my way, it’s really been momentum and routine pulling me along whenever things get rough.

  81. I’ve been looking forward to this post, thank you.
    I made a little sign that reads “I am willing” which was inspired by you. It really works. Thanks again Miz, you are such an inspiration.

  82. Hi Mizfit,

    I like that distinction between willpower and willingness.

    Willingness in your case sounds like first having some actual longer term goals so you can make intelligent tradeoffs.

    Do I want that cupcake a la mode, or do I forego it so I can keep up with the little tykes? The goal gives you something to strive for…

    Going beyond that, to the realm where, for example, you really feel hungry. We can withstand that kind of discomfort for only so long. We do give in eventually or succumb to ill-health, which knocks us out of the saddle.

    I believe that willpower is about getting your body’s hormones right first, then setting goals helps you focus on willingness.

    Love your stuff.

    Tony

  83. Very interesting thoughts on it.

    For me, it started off as having willpower. It means having power over an object (ding dongs 🙂 so I could achieve a goal (which isn’t done yet).

    NOW, I think it’s about my willingness to ensure the job gets done. It’s my managing my behaviors to have a power within myself not over something that was causing a temptation. Those ding dongs are still pretty tempting but now I really try to be willing to say no for how I want to feel tomorrow.

  84. *reading back* hmm, interesting question. for me, i think it’s a combination of both for whatever goal i want to accomplish. i don’t think just sheer willpower works or just willingness – i think i need both and at the same time. they work harmoniously in me like that.

  85. I have been thinking about this all week and am eeking my way toward willingness as I’m realizing that is the key for me.
    THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Trackbacks

  2. […] I also have to learn to think of this whole process differently, though.  I have to let go of the mental image of an iron fist closed around the Exercise Plan and the Perfect Eating Plan that Must Not be Deviated From Else I Am a Failure.  I have to think more about being NICE to myself than CONTROLLING myself.  I have to think more about willingNESS than about willPOWER. […]

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