"The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation. Just do it. Exercise, lose weight, test your blood sugar, or whatever. Do it without motivation. And then, guess what? After you start doing the thing, that's when the motivation comes and makes it easy for you to keep on doing it." John C. Maxwell. Willpower is the ability to do something even when it feels like work. It's vital to build and maintain your willpower if you want to complete challenging projects. It's also vital to understand that you only have a certain amount at any current time. For instance, you might have noticed that on some days, you're sensible about food, going to the gym but going all the same, and sitting down to your work with only a small glance at the television and one quick email check. The next day, however, your willpower appears to not only have deserted you, but taken normal decency with it. On the way home from work, the thought of trying to make it to your house before eating seems impossible, so you stop on the way. The muffin you buy disappears in a puff of icing sugar. You start the usual fight with yourself about the gym but suddenly realise you're just not going to win, and so flop down in front of the TV and the rest of the night is (oh so forgettable) history.
So what happened? Where was the willpower you had the day before? These are the times when you have stretched, strained, used, drained, soaked up, dried up and generally bailed out your willpower. The saddest thing is that you probably didn't even spend it on anything good. So let us look at where willpower can go, and how we can plug up these holes to maintain a steady stream of it throughout the day.
There are three major willpower leaches. The Big Three destroyers: Hunger - Sleep Deprivation - Stress
Hunger
Willpower is devoured by hunger. There's a reason we're told not to go shopping when we're hungry? Why? Because somehow all of the bad food in the supermarket jumps into your trolley, and you're in no mood to resist it. If you rationalised it you would realise that if you ate that, and that, and the other thing you just put in your trolley, all right now, you would explode. However, your brain is on holiday, and your stomach says 'I want it all, now!'
That hunger results in decreasing your willpower regarding food makes sense - food cravings after all are directly related to hunger. But hunger takes away your willpower to do other things as well. It affects concentration, mood (hungry angry!) and your general ability to think about anything that isn't food. Mothers know when a baby is hungry, because they start getting fussy and throwing temper tantrums. Just because we've grown up a bit doesn't mean our bodies can handle being hungry.
Now, if you the other two willpower killers are under control, you might be able to battle through hunger. If you're planning on going on any severe diet, do everything you can to keep the other two Willpower Destroyers satiated. However, why make things more difficult for yourself than you have to? If you're trying to complete a challenging project, make sure you eat sensible meals at regular times.
Sleep Deprivation
By now, with all the attention it has received in magazines and self-help books, someone has surely told you that you need more sleep. Yes, it is very individual, and there are some people out there who really do only need four hours, but they live healthy lives on those four hours. For the rest of us, we generally need around eight hours of good quality sleep, and can need more in winter or at different times in our personal mood cycle.
Good quality sleep cannot be underestimated. If you want to do one thing to reenergise your creativity, joy and peace with life, look first to your sleeping habits. After years of having broken sleep, you might think it is normal, but it is definitely worth taking the time and effort to improve it. You owe it to yourself as a writer, so think of this as part of your job requirement: get better sleep.
However, sad news for those who were leaning over to tell their partner not to wake them before midday: it's the hours before midnight that are the most effective. Some people do appear to work well after midnight, but check: are you waking up after eight hours of sleep feeling refreshed? If not, it might be more accurate that you've messed up your natural circadian rhythms, rather than that you have a true affiliation with owls. However, if you have a system that is working for you, or you have to have odd hours for work, don't let me interfere. I only offer food for thought.
Simple Steps For Better Sleep Hygiene
There is a lot of information out there on how to improve your sleep, most of which focuses on your 'sleep hygiene'. Sleep hygiene relates to good sleep habits, and addresses common sleeping problems that are caused by bad habits, which you may have had for many years. So, it is time to start retraining yourself to get the most out of a night's shut-eye.
Here are five practical tips you can put into practice immediately, and build into good habits (more can be found in my book "The Five Day Writer's Retreat").
1. Train your body clock. Your body likes consistency over a 24 hour period, and it's really good at getting into habits if you'll let it. So do yourself a favour and always try to go to bed at the same time and get up around the same time. Your body will get used to unwinding in time and will be ready to sleep when you are.
2. Turn off the computer screen. We now think nothing of staring at a computer screen all day and night. Yet research is showing that the backlit screens are affecting our ability to switch off and get to sleep. And yes, this includes your smart phone as well. E-readers that have e-ink and no backlighting are okay. So the recommendation is that if you want to fall asleep more easily, turn off the computer/TV etc about an hour before you want to go to sleep. 'But what will I do?' You exclaim. Well, aren't you a writer? You should read of course! Jump into bed after your well-developed ritual and snuggle down with a good book.
3. Turn off the computer screen. We now think nothing of staring at a computer screen all day and night. Yet research is showing that the backlit screens are affecting our ability to switch off and get to sleep. And yes, this includes your smart phone as well. E-readers that have e-ink and no backlighting are okay. So the recommendation is that if you want to fall asleep more easily, turn off the computer/TV etc about an hour before you want to go to sleep. 'But what will I do?' You exclaim. Well, aren't you a writer? You should read of course! Jump into bed after your well-developed ritual and snuggle down with a good book.
4. Sleep ritual - physical preparation. I'm a big believer in ritual, that is, instilling everyday actions with significance and using them as a marker of time. It is a great way to train your body to perform on cue. A regular bedtime ritual will help you to drift off peacefully and without much trouble. Things to focus on are the preparation of the body for sleep and then the mind. I was never one for nighttime showers, but they are starting to win me over. Slipping into bed all clean and warm is a fantastic thing. I recently read an article that also highly recommended that you give yourself a quick foot bath before you go to bed, to heat them up and reduce the aches of a long day. I haven't implemented this yet, but it sounds like good advice. Drinking warm milk can be comforting, and will stop you waking up in the night hungry (or does this only happen to me and in movies?). Following the same ritual each night will definitely help you get better sleep. The one drawback is that when you can't follow your ritual, it might be harder to get to sleep.
5. Stimulants. Are you one of those people who believes stimulants don't affect you? Or, on the other hand, do you feel you need a glass of wine or a beer to help you relax at night? I'm not going to dictate to you about these matters - just know that I have my skeptical face on. You might have trained yourself to need these things. However, in a perfectly normal, urban way, I believe that trying to stay as natural as possible in the end allows your body to run along its normal lines. Yes, it might take a few weeks to 'detox', but you are on a retreat, so obviously you want to make some changes. Now is the best time to take action.
Stress
To our third, final, and by no means least of the Willpower Destroyers. We know that a little bit of stress can be a wonderful thing; it gives you that kick of energy before a deadline, it is what helps your fitness improve when you run, and kicks in your body's natural self-preservation instincts. However, on-going or high levels of stress are bad for so many reasons. And the worst thing is that we tend to encourage it in our lives, mistaking it for the benefit of good stress.
Reducing Stress
List what currently stresses you, from the big stressors to the niggles. If the task seems difficult, put them under these headings: Work - Relationships - Home Environment - Personal - Finance. Try to be as specific as you can, narrowing it down to individuals or particular things. Defining a problem is a large part of overcoming it.
For example, under Work you might list: 'Dealing with client X makes me dread Tuesdays', or 'The way my computer keeps crashing and IT won't fix it.'
Relationships: Something like, 'The expectations of my family' is too general. Instead try: 'How my mother subtly hints on the phone each time we talk about whether I have a new man in my life.'
Home Environment: Even little things can make a difference, such as 'The way the Tupperware always overflows from the drawers', or 'I don't have anywhere to store the vacuum cleaner without everyone tripping over it.'
Personal: These are attitudes and thoughts that bring you stress, such as 'I committed to writing 200 words a day and haven't done anything', or 'My weight is slowly creeping further up and soon I'm going to be a balloon.'
Finance: Credit card debt can be an ongoing source of low-grade stress, as can a silent fight with a housemate over who should pay the excess on the phone bill, since neither of you made those calls!
List as many stressors as you can, then divide them into three types of stress: things you can do something about Now, things you should be able to change in the Future and things that Can't be changed. Then list them by how much they irritate you.
Deliberately work through the things you can change now and get rid of as many stressors as you can. Every month or so, update the list and keep working on it. Reducing stress in your life is one of the most effective ways you can increase your general happiness and productivity, so don't just let it slide! the rest of the night is (oh so forgettable) history.
So what happened? Where was the willpower you had the day before? These are the times when you have stretched, strained, used, drained, soaked up, dried up and generally bailed out your willpower. The saddest thing is that you probably didn't even spend it on anything good. So let us look at where willpower can go, and how we can plug up these holes to maintain a steady stream of it throughout the day.
There are three major willpower leaches. The Big Three destroyers: Hunger - Sleep Deprivation - Stress
Hunger
Willpower is devoured by hunger. There's a reason we're told not to go shopping when we're hungry? Why? Because somehow all of the bad food in the supermarket jumps into your trolley, and you're in no mood to resist it. If you rationalised it you would realise that if you ate that, and that, and the other thing you just put in your trolley, all right now, you would explode. However, your brain is on holiday, and your stomach says 'I want it all, now!'
That hunger results in decreasing your willpower regarding food makes sense - food cravings after all are directly related to hunger. But hunger takes away your willpower to do other things as well. It affects concentration, mood (hungry angry!) and your general ability to think about anything that isn't food. Mothers know when a baby is hungry, because they start getting fussy and throwing temper tantrums. Just because we've grown up a bit doesn't mean our bodies can handle being hungry.
Now, if you the other two willpower killers are under control, you might be able to battle through hunger. If you're planning on going on any severe diet, do everything you can to keep the other two Willpower Destroyers satiated. However, why make things more difficult for yourself than you have to? If you're trying to complete a challenging project, make sure you eat sensible meals at regular times.
Sleep Deprivation
By now, with all the attention it has received in magazines and self-help books, someone has surely told you that you need more sleep. Yes, it is very individual, and there are some people out there who really do only need four hours, but they live healthy lives on those four hours. For the rest of us, we generally need around eight hours of good quality sleep, and can need more in winter or at different times in our personal mood cycle.
Good quality sleep cannot be underestimated. If you want to do one thing to reenergise your creativity, joy and peace with life, look first to your sleeping habits. After years of having broken sleep, you might think it is normal, but it is definitely worth taking the time and effort to improve it. You owe it to yourself as a writer, so think of this as part of your job requirement: get better sleep.
However, sad news for those who were leaning over to tell their partner not to wake them before midday: it's the hours before midnight that are the most effective. Some people do appear to work well after midnight, but check: are you waking up after eight hours of sleep feeling refreshed? If not, it might be more accurate that you've messed up your natural circadian rhythms, rather than that you have a true affiliation with owls. However, if you have a system that is working for you, or you have to have odd hours for work, don't let me interfere. I only offer food for thought.
Simple Steps For Better Sleep Hygiene
There is a lot of information out there on how to improve your sleep, most of which focuses on your 'sleep hygiene'. Sleep hygiene relates to good sleep habits, and addresses common sleeping problems that are caused by bad habits, which you may have had for many years. So, it is time to start retraining yourself to get the most out of a night's shut-eye.
Here are five practical tips you can put into practice immediately, and build into good habits (more can be found in my book "The Five Day Writer's Retreat").
1. Train your body clock. Your body likes consistency over a 24 hour period, and it's really good at getting into habits if you'll let it. So do yourself a favour and always try to go to bed at the same time and get up around the same time. Your body will get used to unwinding in time and will be ready to sleep when you are.
2. Turn off the computer screen. We now think nothing of staring at a computer screen all day and night. Yet research is showing that the backlit screens are affecting our ability to switch off and get to sleep. And yes, this includes your smart phone as well. E-readers that have e-ink and no backlighting are okay. So the recommendation is that if you want to fall asleep more easily, turn off the computer/TV etc about an hour before you want to go to sleep. 'But what will I do?' You exclaim. Well, aren't you a writer? You should read of course! Jump into bed after your well-developed ritual and snuggle down with a good book.
3. Turn off the computer screen. We now think nothing of staring at a computer screen all day and night. Yet research is showing that the backlit screens are affecting our ability to switch off and get to sleep. And yes, this includes your smart phone as well. E-readers that have e-ink and no backlighting are okay. So the recommendation is that if you want to fall asleep more easily, turn off the computer/TV etc about an hour before you want to go to sleep. 'But what will I do?' You exclaim. Well, aren't you a writer? You should read of course! Jump into bed after your well-developed ritual and snuggle down with a good book.
4. Sleep ritual - physical preparation. I'm a big believer in ritual, that is, instilling everyday actions with significance and using them as a marker of time. It is a great way to train your body to perform on cue. A regular bedtime ritual will help you to drift off peacefully and without much trouble. Things to focus on are the preparation of the body for sleep and then the mind. I was never one for nighttime showers, but they are starting to win me over. Slipping into bed all clean and warm is a fantastic thing. I recently read an article that also highly recommended that you give yourself a quick foot bath before you go to bed, to heat them up and reduce the aches of a long day. I haven't implemented this yet, but it sounds like good advice. Drinking warm milk can be comforting, and will stop you waking up in the night hungry (or does this only happen to me and in movies?). Following the same ritual each night will definitely help you get better sleep. The one drawback is that when you can't follow your ritual, it might be harder to get to sleep.
5. Stimulants. Are you one of those people who believes stimulants don't affect you? Or, on the other hand, do you feel you need a glass of wine or a beer to help you relax at night? I'm not going to dictate to you about these matters - just know that I have my skeptical face on. You might have trained yourself to need these things. However, in a perfectly normal, urban way, I believe that trying to stay as natural as possible in the end allows your body to run along its normal lines. Yes, it might take a few weeks to 'detox', but you are on a retreat, so obviously you want to make some changes. Now is the best time to take action.
Stress
To our third, final, and by no means least of the Willpower Destroyers. We know that a little bit of stress can be a wonderful thing; it gives you that kick of energy before a deadline, it is what helps your fitness improve when you run, and kicks in your body's natural self-preservation instincts. However, on-going or high levels of stress are bad for so many reasons. And the worst thing is that we tend to encourage it in our lives, mistaking it for the benefit of good stress.
Reducing Stress
List what currently stresses you, from the big stressors to the niggles. If the task seems difficult, put them under these headings: Work - Relationships - Home Environment - Personal - Finance. Try to be as specific as you can, narrowing it down to individuals or particular things. Defining a problem is a large part of overcoming it.
For example, under Work you might list: 'Dealing with client X makes me dread Tuesdays', or 'The way my computer keeps crashing and IT won't fix it.'
Relationships: Something like, 'The expectations of my family' is too general. Instead try: 'How my mother subtly hints on the phone each time we talk about whether I have a new man in my life.'
Home Environment: Even little things can make a difference, such as 'The way the Tupperware always overflows from the drawers', or 'I don't have anywhere to store the vacuum cleaner without everyone tripping over it.'
Personal: These are attitudes and thoughts that bring you stress, such as 'I committed to writing 200 words a day and haven't done anything', or 'My weight is slowly creeping further up and soon I'm going to be a balloon.'
Finance: Credit card debt can be an ongoing source of low-grade stress, as can a silent fight with a housemate over who should pay the excess on the phone bill, since neither of you made those calls!
List as many stressors as you can, then divide them into three types of stress: things you can do something about Now, things you should be able to change in the Future and things that Can't be changed. Then list them by how much they irritate you.
Deliberately work through the things you can change now and get rid of as many stressors as you can. Every month or so, update the list and keep working on it. Reducing stress in your life is one of the most effective ways you can increase your general happiness and productivity, so don't just let it slide! the rest of the night is (oh so forgettable) history.
About the Author:
This is an excerpt from Buffy Greentree's book 'The Five Day Writer's Retreat', available now on Amazon. Five_day_Writer_Retreat
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