There will be times in your life when you just don’t feel like it. You might not feel like doing any productive work and want to spend a day wasting away. Well, that wasting away happens all too frequently in our current society. Children and adults will stay inside and allow technology to be their crutch when they fail to give more energy in a day. There is something we need to be aware of to break bad habits from staying in our life. In this week’s blog, I will give a comparison and contrast both willpower and self-discipline and what it means for you and the life of your dreams.
When comparing willpower and self-discipline, there has to be an understanding of self in the equation. We are all unique, and no two people will be exactly alike. You may have many similarities, but you will differ in some way or the other. The biggest comparison between these two is the ability to control yourself. I have spoken about how we are in charge of our thoughts, feelings, and actions, which will dictate behavior. Though it may seem like you do not have a choice at times, you do. You are in complete control of yourself except for a mental disorder or substance influence. Regardless, the ability to control yourself is what we will be speaking about when comparing willpower vs. self-discipline.
The ability to control yourself is your mind at work. That control can be focused on completing a task or making sure you “handle your business.” In addition to being terms that derive action – these two words act as motivators for us. Though the words have a slight difference in meaning, they both have a common ground to motivate us toward our desires. For example, the typical reason people “work” is because they need money for food, clothes, shelter, etc. If those things were given to us, would people still want to work? I am certain it will go both ways. I am unsure of the ratio of people who would want to go to work or be taken care of.
As we start to get into the differences between willpower vs. self-discipline, it is important to realize where we are as a society. As I am writing this blog, we are still in a pandemic, and the world is fearful of the virus Covid-19. There are many speculations about the series of events that have developed over the past year. I do my best to remain neutral when it comes to politics and opinions of the current state of the world. What I will tell you is that what you choose to believe will be yours and yours alone. Our beliefs are closely related to willpower and self-discipline in the same sense because they drive us toward them. If you have a goal or belief, you will need willpower and self-discipline to get there.
When speaking about willpower, there is a clear difference in how much more powerful it is compared to self-discipline. Will power is a “strong determination that will allow you to do something difficult”. Some examples would be, losing weight or quitting a substance/habit. I see the highest amount of willpower on December 31st and January 1st. This is because many people make new resolutions for the upcoming year. They are determined to make the coming year the best one yet. Though they may have the best year passively, there is a difference between willing it to happen and just letting it happen.
If you will something to happen in your life, it is because you put in the work to get it. If you are due for a promotion/bonus this year, then it was not your will to get it. Though it did happen, and it was good for you, it was not due to your direct actions toward the result. Willpower is different in the sense of how much work/effort is needed on your part. Will-power will not come naturally or without focused work on your part. If you want to lose weight or stop drinking, then you have to will it in your mind so that your thoughts, feelings, and actions will be directed at the area you want to see improvement. That is why understanding what you want is just as important as understanding what you do not want in your life.
Taking a quick jump into self-discipline, you will find it has a focus on your behavior. Self-discipline is when you make sure you work hard or behave a certain way of your own volition. In simple terms, self-discipline is being able to motivate yourself without the need of anyone else. Some examples of self-discipline are making sure to avoid junk food while on a diet or to make sure not to go out drinking with buddies during the week. Whatever your goal is, there can be some self-discipline applied to it. This is different than willpower because self-discipline comes directly from you. Will-power teeters on the fence of motivation. When it comes to propelling yourself forward, self-discipline will be one of the determining factors if you reach all your goals.
I find that many people struggle with self-discipline more than they do with willpower. I see this a lot when people get tired/lazy, have a craving, or not seeing immediate results. Self-discipline is about staying in the heat when you want to get cool. Being able to define what you want and hold yourself accountable can be powerful. For me, I have rules set into place in my life to help with my self-discipline. I do not have people helping me or telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. What happens in my life is dependent on the actions I take. I am the person that must hold myself accountable even if I do not “feel like it.”
Choosing to use either willpower and/or self-discipline can set you up for your best life yet. I find that using a mix helps me to get more done each day. I tend to rely more on self-discipline than willpower because I have a set routine and rules that I have created for myself. As long as I can have some self-discipline to follow what I have created for myself, then I am in good shape. I am sure I come off as cold, boring, controlling, and stubborn at times, but that is fine by me. I rather have the life that everyone wants than be like everyone and want the life someone else has. I have no complaints about how much I work and put into myself daily. I am the creator of the life I want. If having some willpower and self-discipline is the key to an amazing future, then I will hold onto my discipline and reap the benefits continually.
In closing, if you want something in your life, you have to will it. If you want some more willpower and self-discipline, then you must form a mindset around your goals/dreams. If you find yourself constantly battling what you should/shouldn’t be doing, then seek the help of a coach. Many of my clients struggle with remaining focused and on task. We would go from one meeting to feeling good and ready to succeed to our next meeting when they tell me they ate a whole pint of ice cream. I always reply, “Was it worth it?”. As you can imagine, I get some yeses and some nos, but that one pint of ice cream is not the problem. It is the pint of ice cream after the first one. The problems we give ourselves are laced into our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Will-power and self-discipline can help to alleviate an issue by applying focus and an understanding of what will serve us the most. If you are having a hard time remaining accountable for the life you want, then reach out today. Find out how you can strengthen your willpower and self-discipline toward all your future goals and finally start to attain the life of your dreams.
Until then,
Michael Rearden
CEO of Reven LLC.