Willpower - Overrated as ‘the key to success’

What is Willpower? How do we define it?

Willpower can be described as a strong determination that allows you to achieve something, and stay stick to the desire, no matter how difficult the path is. A strong willpower also helps us calmly deal with delays in achievements. Let’s put a good example here to explain willpower better; we, as employees or workers in an organization always get up early in the morning, regardless of how tiring the previous day was. Why? Because our willpower constantly encourages us to avoid getting late or taking a leave at office as it might have negative impact to our productivity.

In today’s era, willpower has become an essential component for success, but has it always been this way?

No. If we go back to the history, people didn’t require willpower,   they used to follow their general instincts to survive and succeed. But with the evolving time, we humans have set lot of rules and boundaries for self and for others to get things in order. Each one of us is rushing to leave behind every other person in the race of competition. And we are hardwired with the belief system that we only will achieve success if we will follow these set rules and regulations.

As per the recent study and an experiment, where students were asked to have the marshmallow right away or wait for 20 minutes and then eat to get extra reward. The study showed that the students who waited for 20 minutes to get the double reward are fared better in later life, than those who ate the marshmallow instantly.

So, it proves that yes, Willpower is important to succeed and people are emphasizing more on strengthening the willpower in today’s era.

Even most of the organizations organize special trainings for their employees to help them strengthen their willpower.

But there are few things which sometimes overpower the willpower and should not be overlooked while traversing the terrain towards your goal. Those few things are; our previous failures which often leave us in discouraged state of mind, our physical health which keeps us drained every day and does not allow us to begin the day with right motivation and courage, and our emotions; low emotions often reduce our motivation level.

Courtesy: AK Mishra Library

Something just popped up in your mind and said that yes, it happens and you have experienced it many times, right? We know it, it happens; and these reasons get overlooked until and unless we face them in our lives. Even if you have unlimited will power, it has its limits, when you face the above mentioned reasons which often holds you back to get up and continue the race. Besides will power, your mental, emotional and physical power play major role. For eg. When you resist getting into an argument which makes no sense to you, it is the emotional and mental power that helps you resist more than the will power.  When you go to the meeting and use various tactics to crack it, it is your mental power. For petty most tasks like the craving for our favourite food or a dress we wish to purchase, we have all the will but our emotional and mental power stops us for varied reasons like health or finance issues respectively. Hence, Willpower is a limited resource, and the other components of success should be at work at times when your willpower starts depleting.

Get success with limited Willpower

Now, when you are aware that willpower is a limited resource, and there are other key components to achieve success, like a plan, a systematic approach; put the plan and systematic approach first and then compliment it with Willpower. Here, with systematic approach, I am also trying to encourage you to create the right environment, right conditions, right set of mind along with right guidance and planning that assure your success. If you will successfully develop a plan, a right environment, right resources; then willpower will act as an added advantage to help you get success.

1. Get in the company of like-minded people who have are experience and who can guide you towards the path of your goal
2. Stay happy and get out of all the emotional dilemmas which may become an hindrance to your success
3. Set right resources for you, the right strategy, systematic plan to achieve your goal
4. Replace your old beliefs and old conditioning of mind – if you have failed earlier, it doesn’t mean you will fail again. Failures are just a stepping stone to success. So, let go of the regrets, rather, use the past mistakes as learning and go for it again. Success will be yours!

Remember, you are reading this article because you have an aim, you have the dream, you have the patience, you are getting right guidance, and you have the will to achieve success. All you need is to work on the above mentioned aeas now to get success in each sphere of life. Good Luck!