WILLPOWER 3
Willpower in Four Steps - Part Three - Action!     

If you have followed this four-part series, you generated some insight into the problem you want to change, which sets you on the path to giving yourself the control over the problem. In Part Two, we used that insight to generate a motivation list.

By now you should be reading your motivation list daily. This will remind you of the benefits that you will gain with the new behavior. If you wrote your list well, and included every great outcome of your new behavior, you are already feeling pretty motivated. The list is to re mind you why a new behavior is preferable to an old one.
But you also must take action. For example, simply saying, "I will stop smoking because it is unhealthy for me" is not going to give you willpower. Smoking serves many purposes in a person's life . It is relaxation to some, social time to others, a much - needed break. Why give up these important benefits?

Your next step is to find a way to get the benefits of the old behavior without its negative effects. This part is tricky. What was good about the old behavior? What was positive, enjoyable? What about it do you dread giving up? No one likes arguing with their spouse, but maybe fighting was a way that you engaged with each other. No one likes being overweight, but maybe food was your reward at the end of a long day. As you build the willpower to avoid spousal arguments, include new actions such as working on a project together, starting a new sport, volunteering together. As you ditch your unhealthy foods, find non - food ways to relax and reward yourself.

The action phase takes time. Your goal is doing the preferable behavior over and over until it becomes habit. You will need one final element to solidify your changes--Stay tuned for Part Four!
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