The Willpower of Success
The willpower of your mind and your will to succeed will either drive you toward success or pull you back from success. There are two types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsically motivated people do things that push them towards their goals because they enjoy the effect of what they are doing.
Intrinsically motivated people will do the work and adjust to changes because to them it is something they would do regardless of the rewards or negative results of that of an extrinsically motivated person.
Extrinsically motivated individuals will workout really hard or do their work so they can get a raise, or not be yelled at by their boss. Or lose weight so that they can please their wife, husband, or doctor, not because they enjoy working out.
Which one of these two motivations are better? I believe they both have their place, but an intrinsically motivated person will succeed more overall in achieving all of their goals. Extrinsically motivated people may find it hard to sustain their motivation if the rewards dwindle and they can’t find joy in the process.
Here are some ways you can improve your rates of success by improving a “muscle” no one talks about, willpower. These will apply if your goals include money, weight loss, or improving any other area of your life.
- Set small, medium, and long-term goals.
- Talk to people who have achieved the success you are looking for and ask questions.
- Find a way to enjoy the process.
- Listen to podcasts devoted to your goals.
- Read books about what you are trying to do.
- Keep a positive mindset always.
- Learn meditation.
- Go to your happy place often. (Beach, creek, forest, mountains)
- Life your life with intention.
- Tell people what you are trying to do, you never know who might have the knowledge to get you there faster.
Since 2011 I have worked on my mindset and my motivation. As each day passes I get a bit better, but I’m still not where I want to be. I never will be. If you take nothing else away from this blog remember this.
If you are going to succeed, you will need to do whatever it takes, there will be those that support you, those that think you are crazy, and those that flat-out don’t care what you are doing. That is fine. The person who succeeds in the long run are those with grit, tenacity, and determination. Never let anyone crush your dream, or your goals. At the end of the day the only person that you need to please is yourself! If you do that you will please many others in the long run! Work on yourself first!
With Love
~Michael
Formal Fitness Training CEO
Michael Hartman
My mission is to give personal training participants a safe and effective workout designed specifically for their goals. Dealing with many sports injuries over the years taught me how to come back stronger every time. The competition is with yourself... Strive to bring out your best self and get better every day!
