Willpower

When you're stuck and are relieving stress now by acting in ways that cause problems later, it's important to figure out how to regroup.

Who among us has not made a plan to get up in the morning and exercise, but then hit snooze one time too many, sleeping through our morning jog?

By Leslie Goldman They say you should never trust a skinny chef. But what about a petite food stylist or a svelte cupcake queen? The fact is, whe...

Willpower is the key to much that's good in life. So it's no wonder that psychological scientists have been studying willpower for decades, trying to figure out who is disciplined under what circumstances -- and why.

Just about anyone who has ever put off a troublesome task is familiar with one of my "secrets of adulthood": Working is one of the most dangerous forms of procrastination.

Real change can be hard to come by, and it's tempting to want to start lowering expectations, or throw in the towel on your goal completely. But don't despair, because it's not too late to push the reset button and try tackling those goals again.

This blog will be the first in a series designed to teach you specific cognitive (thinking) and behavioral skills that will help you increase your motivation and willpower whenever it begins to lag.

The vast majority of us have given up on our New Year's resolutions before the month's out. If you truly want to change yourself for the better in 2012, then you'll do well to pay attention to these three research-driven tips.

I have said for years that willpower doesn't work, and that people who rely on it to manage their nutrition will end up actually overeating when their will collapses. Nothing demonstrates this more than the holidays, with all that food, expectation and anxiety packed into a few days.

You probably know the feeling: Just when you most need to push ahead, whatever willpower you once possessed is nowhere to be found. As it turns out, this is no coincidence.

New research shows that people just won't trust you when you seem like you might have a willpower problem.

We automatically think of willpower as a resource we use to help us do the things we know we should do -- the things that are good for us. Why, then, would anyone ever exert willpower in order to do something that isn't good for them?

Just taking a moment to decide how you will handle your less attractive impulses could mean the difference between finding Mr. Right and seriously freaking him out.

Americans are stressed out, and seeking treatment for anxiety and depression in record numbers. Experiencing all of those bad feelings each day leads us to consume more and more high-calorie junk food.

It turns out that our capacity for self-control is surprisingly like a muscle -- like a bicep or tricep.

Did you know that willpower is like coal? We have a limited amount, and it can very well run out. I am determined to get some of my willpower back, so here I have assembled the tricks that have worked in the past.

Your capacity for self-control is not unlike the muscles in your body. Just as well-developed biceps sometimes get tired and jelly-like after a strenuous workout, so, too, does your willpower "muscle."

Decades of research on achievement suggests that successful people reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.

We Americans love the idea of willpower. It's forceful, bold, intrepid. It reeks of individual determination, and it suggests just enough stalwart endurance to satisfy our stoic sensibilities.

What is it about men that makes them think that asking for help seems like a weakness, not a strength? Why do we place such a high value on "toughing it out," especially when it can cut us off from optimal solutions?

Most people have at least one area in which they lack willpower. How can you increase your willpower? Here are some techniques, using exercise as an example, that should help.