The trouble is, most of us don’t really know or understand the tools we have available to us. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that most people can’t tell you the difference between will power and self-discipline.

They are different, though – quite different – and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Each is good for some situations and not for others. Once we learn these distinctions, it becomes easier to master the circumstances of our life.

Just as a carpenter understands the differences between a drawknife and a plane, or between a keyhole saw and a coping saw, in just the same way we’re learning the various situations that require will power on one hand, or self-discipline on the other.

In the second article of this series, coach Faye Hollands shows us how to use our will power most effectively, and why misapplying it can take us down a disappointing path.

Don’t Rely on Will Power to Get Results – Here’s How to Use a Burst of Motivation Smartly!
By Faye Hollands

Al Tomsik, the great sales trainer, said ‘Success is tons of discipline’ and if you study those that have achieved true success it becomes apparent that discipline is no longer a dirty-word – it’s ‘the master key to riches’ (Napoleon Hill). So today I’m continuing my series on how to increase self-discipline by focusing on willpower…

Start Forming Positive Habits

There’s no substitute for willpower, despite what the commercials say! We all know that ‘fast and easy’ diet pills aren’t the solution to a healthy lifestyle, but it’s a lack of buyer’s willpower that helps those products become successful!

The problem with willpower is that it provides a quick boost of motivation, which can burn out quickly, and if you don’t know how to use that burst intelligently then your level of self-discipline can fall by the wayside.

Given that willpower is typically a thrust forward, rather than a steady pace, it’s important not to tackle your challenges in a way that requires a high level of willpower every day – frankly, it’s unsustainable. Success breeds success so you need a strategy that you can keep up and maintain momentum.

Willpower is great for setting the scene on how to move forward to achieve your goals, and then using that initial thrust of motivation to get moving. So for example, lets say you want to change careers. The first step is to identify all the various targets you’ll need in order to achieve success. You need to determine what career you want to move into and then what skills you need to develop in order to make that move.

Secondly, you might feel that you’d be tempted to stay in the ‘same old job’ if you didn’t improve your financial situation so you put together a budget or see a financial planner. You set aside time each weekend to study and you join relevant associations and groups to expand your network in the industry you’re interested in. You get a coach or mentor so that you can learn more about career transition, and you meet with several recruiters to get their expert advice on how to break into that industry. And so on … all of this information goes into a written plan on how to change your career.

The Right Way to Use Willpower

Then it’s time for action – and fast! With focus, you could put a lot of these tasks into action in one day, and by the end of the day you will have used your willpower not to change jobs, but to put into place the conditions you need to make a career change easier.

The key point here is not to use willpower to make the actual change, but to attack your environment in order to set yourself up for success. The same goes for setting up a business, working towards promotion, losing weight, stopping smoking … basically anything you want to achieve.

By using willpower in this way you will create momentum, and as you regularly take action, habits will start forming. Once a habit is formed you need very little willpower to keep moving forward, which means you’ll find it easier and easier to achieve your goals. The knock-on effect is huge!

Written by Faye Hollands, Director at Outshine Consulting and The Success Rules. Faye specialises in working with entrepreneurs, business owners and ambitious professionals who want to achieve significant success in the fastest, easiest and most economical way possible.

At this moment you are just one click away from discovering Faye’s time-tested strategies to accelerate your personal and professional success. Click the following link to receive FREE INSTANT ACCESS to a LIVE recording of Faye’s recent teleseminar on “How To Actually Achieve Your Goals”. Click here now for immediate access: http://www.outshineconsulting.com.au/Download.html

Back to Charles:
Will power is similar to short-term enthusiasm. It’ll carry us forward in a flurry of energy, but it’s not meant to be sustained forever. It’s good for short, intense, tightly focused tasks such as planning and setup, but if we’re trying to do the entire job on will power alone, we’ll run out of steam and wonder where all our determination disappeared to.

We must know our selves and our tools. Know their strong points as well as their limits. Once we understand that, then we’re better prepared to run our lives more successfully.

In the next part, we’ll look at the trait of action.

Cheers from warm and smiling Thailand,
Charles

Related Posts:

1. Part 1: Self-Discipline – Even for the Indecisive
2. Part 3: Success – Waiting Won’t Get You There
3. Persistence – 7 Times More Success Power
4. Self Motivation Is Super Simple! Part 4
5. Self Motivation Is Super Simple! Part 3
6. Masterminding: the Biggest Success Secret – Part 2
7. Getting Your Power Up to Speed
8. BullsEye Club Benefits – Part 1