In life, we often fight a constant battle between things that give us pleasure now but may cause us harm in the longer term and choices that appear painful now but will bring us increased happiness in the future. Sound familiar?
And, when you consider that it’s human instinct to seek comfort and avoid pain, it is incredible that anyone ever tries to exert self-control. And yet, society tells us repeatedly that the best way to prevent long-term harm or discomfort is to exercise more willpower, toughen up and try a bit harder. So we try, fail, and feel weak, and the experience of that failure impacts our ability to brush ourselves down and start again.
Psychologists and neuroscientists have only started researching the limits of willpower in the recent decade. Their findings show that willpower is a depletable finite resource.
Let’s use a battery as a metaphor for willpower.
Imagine starting the day with a low battery or facing a draining situation, and you could find you run out of energy. Your willpower is exhausted, and you feel vulnerable and exposed.
A good night’s sleep will recharge your battery, but if you are only partway through the day, you can find yourself in a pretty dangerous situation.
Therefore, it’s essential to use your battery as a backup energy source, not use it for every task that comes your way and keep enough juice in reserve to see you through in an emergency.
The other issue with using willpower alone is that it highlights that you’re depriving yourself of perceived short-term pleasure or support in the quest for what appears to be far-off benefits – a miserable way to live your life. But luckily, there are other tools and techniques at our disposal.