People often wonder why some entrepreneurs have better success in business than others. Is it habits, connections, luck, work ethic or any other behavior? I believe the root of success is willpower. Willpower is simply the ability to control yourself. It is a strong determination that allows you to do something difficult. This is a behavior we are born with more than one we learn; however, it is possible to not only learn it, but also strengthen it with constant exercise.
Willpower is just like a muscle; to keep it strong you need to constantly nurture it. People with a great amount of willpower have the motivation and discipline to develop positive, successful habits and have a much better chance of succeeding personally or professionally. Even with an incredible amount of talent, without the discipline and motivation to create positive habits to complete tasks, it can be difficult to achieve success.
Habits
Willpower and habits go hand in hand. Creating positive habits is the key to boosting business. As the owner of a successful company, my focus is to lead my sales team. The No. 1 issue I train my sales team on is how to acquire good habits to become top producers. There is something about someone having their own schedule and being on the road without their daily tasks being monitored that makes them feel like they have a lot more free time, and therefore, it is easier to mismanage that time. It is so easy to book that lunch with a friend or nail appointment in the middle of the day, but that certainly cuts into productivity.
It is critical to create habits and take the actions necessary to stick to those habits day in and day out for higher production and success in business. Almost half of our daily actions are part of our habits and not decisions, so once the correct habits are in place, you will automatically perform those tasks on a day-to-day basis.
Cravings drive habits: Once we get the reward of sticking to a habit, we start craving those results. Whether that is a big payout or the satisfaction of having a bowl of ice cream, you can train yourself and choose what to crave once that habit is created, good or bad.
The best way to create and stick to a habit is to have a strong motivating factor. It’s easier to change your habits to lose weight if you have a health issue and you want to be around longer for your kids, or if your business is something you’re passionate about, like helping others. We sometimes create habits and find ourselves reverting back to less-helpful habits, but having a valuable outcome associated with a habit will help you to stick to that habit permanently.
Self-Control
The art of self-control is one that most successful individuals have mastered. Self-control enables you to avoid behaviors that don’t contribute to your success and increase those that do to achieve long-term goals. We all have desires and cravings. With stress and other daily factors, it is easy to lose control at times and give in to something that doesn’t follow your plan. But knowing exactly what you want, when you want it and how you want it helps you stay on track and keep that self-control in check in order to achieve greatness.
Because there is a delayed satisfaction associated with self-control, it can be easy to get off track. However, if you work on sticking to those small positive habits one day at a time, it becomes easier to stay strong and achieve that delayed reward that will ultimately help you master the art of self-control. Once a reward is achieved, it is much easier to continue sticking to your habits. Plan clear goals, and develop the habits necessary to achieve them. Recognize the self-control necessary to stick to those habits.
How To Boost Your Willpower
How can you improve your willpower so you can create the right habits and develop self-control for greater success?
• It is imperative to create and meet project deadlines. Meeting the deadlines you have created for yourself will give you the confidence and discipline to tackle your projects.
• Stay healthy. In order to improve mental sharpness and confidence, you need to feel good. Eating healthy and exercising daily will help you feel more energized and able to accomplish your goals.
• Be mindful of your decisions. Don’t overdo it by overloading yourself; it’s important to work smarter, not harder. It takes a lot longer to bounce back after you burn yourself out, so knowing your limitations and allowing space for self-care will help keep your willpower at an all-time high.
• Most importantly, be yourself, and be passionate about what you do. It is so much easier to self-motivate when you are being authentic about the work you are doing.
Make sure that whatever you decide to put your energy into is something that truly brings you joy and expresses who you are. It takes a lot to achieve greatness, and to do that without passion is nearly impossible, so make sure to always remember who you are and why you are doing it, and that willpower you were born with or have developed will remain constant on a daily basis.