Quotes About Willpower

I like to say I'm determined; some people would call it stubborn. It depends on your perspective.

I'm going to do what I want to do. If he wants to go to the ground, that's fine. I'm a wrestler.

What is the use of writing plays, what is the use of writing anything, if there is not a will which finally moulds chaos itself into a race of gods.

That's the beginning of heroism, the decision to try.

That's the beginning of heroism, the decision to try.

By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.

Research—and my own experience—suggests that the less we indulge in something, the less we want it. When we believe that a craving will remain unsatisfied, it may diminish; cravings are more provoked by possibility than by denial.

When it comes to fake food, I'm like Samuel Johnson, who remarked, Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult." In other words, I can give something up altogether, but I can't indulge occasionally.

I'm not tempted by things I've decided are off-limits, but once I've started something, I have trouble stopping. If I never do something, it requires no self-control for me; if I do something sometimes, it requires enormous self-control.

With habits, we don't make decisions, we don't use self-control, we just do the thing we want ourselves to do—or that we don't want to do.

the real key to habits is decision making—or, more accurately, the lack of decision making

Self-measurement brings self-awareness, and self-awareness strengthens our self-control.

Rebels aren't persuaded by arguments such as 'People are counting on you,' 'You've already paid for it'...'Things should be done this way,' 'You have an appointment,' 'You said you'd do it'...'It's against the rules,' 'It's a tradition,' 'This is the deadline,' or 'It's rude.' They're much more apt to respond to being told 'This will be fun,' 'This is what *you* want'...Rebels can do anything they *want* to do.

If I never do something, it requires no self-control for me; if I do something sometimes, it requires enormous self-control.

Almost always, if I make a commitment, I can stick to it, even without outside help.

This freedom from decision making is crucial, because when I have to decide—which often involves resisting temptation or postponing gratification—I tax my self-control.

Arranging to Fail Loophole: It's odd. Instead of fleeing temptation, we often plan to succumb.

So where should we start? It's helpful to begin with habits that most directly strengthen self-control; these habits serve as the Foundation for forming other good habits.

is surprising how soon a desire will die of inanition if it be never fed.

Like Dr. Johnson, I'm an Abstainer: I find it far easier to give up something altogether than to indulge moderately. And this distinction has profound implications for habits.

In other words, habits eliminate the need for self-control.

By catching ourselves in the act of invoking a loophole, we give ourselves an opportunity to reject it, and stick to the habits that we want to foster.

You can choose what you do; you can't choose what you like to do.

Eventually I learned to reject this advice. Somehow, I figured out that it was easier for me to resist certain temptations by never giving in to them.