No matter how great your willpower, it has a limit. The last ten years have been stuffed with studies exploring Willpower’s limits—the more decisions and control you have to exert, the more likely you are to crack.
And this won’t just affect any resolutions you make—work, chores, errands, all of these things will draw from your willpower (unless you love doing them, then lucky you!).
So you need to decide how to manage your time before starting a resolution that will further tax your willpower. Because here’s what normally happens for most people: you start a resolution, but it has to fit in around all the stuff you’re already doing. Let’s say you start working out every morning—maybe your willpower runs out and your having a sugary treat in the afternoon or for dessert. Soon the treats are winning and the working out isn’t enough to improve your health!
You need to include breaks and treats that will restore your willpower in your daily plans if you want to keep up with your resolution. Maybe each afternoon you get half an hour to do whatever you want, or just turn your brain off. You could schedule time for a nap, for example, rather than end up eating something bad while working.
Or, if your goal is more organization and work focused, you could have a half hour of playtime scheduled for yourself to break up your day and restart your willpower. (Computer solitaire/phone fiddling doesn’t count—really pick something rewarding for yourself).
What 30 minute breaks do you find the most re-energizing?
