I define willpower as the strength of will to carry out one’s decisions, plans and dreams. We can increase our willpower and likelihood to carry out our decisions, plans and dreams by creating habits and following through with commitments. Building our willpower is like exercising a muscle. The more we work it, the stronger it will become. Consequently, this will increase our confidence that the decisions we make, the plans we set and the dreams we desire will come to fruition. It is said to be one of the best predictors of success in health, wealth, happiness and love. Kelly McGonigal, author of The Willpower Instinct, states that willpower is a mind-body response that can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity.

“Willpower is both physiological and psychological,” explains Michael Gervais, PhD, a sports psychologist to top athletes from the NBA, NFL, MLB and U.S. Olympic Team. To help these world-class athletes perfect their mental game, it has to start from within, says Dr. Gervais. He describes the ability to prevail despite discomfort depends on how we fuel our body and how well we can focus our minds.

I have listed six ways we can increase our willpower so we can achieve a healthier, wealthier, happier life filled with more love.

One, we can increase our willpower through meditation. It builds neurons that help us stay focused and increases blood flow to the pre-frontal cortex. Hal Elrod, philosopher, author and coach, suggests incorporating meditation into our miracle morning routine. This is an essential piece of the formula to start our day off right and get our minds set.

Two, we can increase our willpower through breathing. Brian Johnson, of Optimize Your Life with Brian Johnson, suggests we slow our breathing to four to six breaths per minute. When we are stressed and in fight or flight mode, our willpower is reduced. Breathing helps us to leave this state, pause and choose more empowered responses.

Three, consistent exercise helps boost our willpower. Dr. Kelly McGonigal calls exercise the wonder drug. It helps us to think clearer, feel better and have the energy to make more purposeful plans and decisions.

Four, eating often and having proper nutrition helps us fuel our bodies. When we keep our glucose levels and hunger under control, we feel better, have more energy, can focus our minds and are able to make empowering decisions.

Five, decreasing the variability of our behavior helps to increase willpower. Creating routines that support our goals help us build a solid foundation to grow and closes the window for chaos and negative self-talk to come into our world.

Six, pre-committing helps us increase willpower. The key is that these commitments must be made ahead of time and non-negotiable, leaving no room for excuses or ambiguity.

We can use the six steps listed in this article to train ourselves to boost our willpower to the next level and live a healthier, wealthier, happier life filled with more love. Start increasing your willpower today by choosing one or all of these practices!

Love, Heather