Willpower: concept, types and characteristics

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

How often do you force yourself to do something you don't feel like doing? Or maybe you want something desperately, but you can’t find the strength to put in enough effort to achieve the desired result? Willpower is what helps a person to do incredible things. Read below to learn how to properly motivate yourself and how to develop willpower.

Definition

What is willpower? It is an effort to achieve a set goal. Not always a person can immediately and without problems complete the task. Sometimes he doesn't get it right the first time. You have to make a second attempt, and sometimes a third. In order not to stray from the chosen path, you need to have willpower that will help a person achieve what he wants. Volitional effort is inextricably linked with motivation. People will do something only when they know what awaits them for the time and effort spent. The reward is not always material, sometimes there is enough aesthetic or moralenjoyment.

How often does a person have to make volitional efforts? Every time he runs into a problem he hasn't faced before. Difficult and incomprehensible situations are stress, which takes a lot of effort and sometimes time to deal with.

Factors affecting the will

Every person is born with different inclinations and abilities. But here the character is formed under the influence of the surrounding world and educators. What determines the development of human willpower?

• Habits. That person who is used to obeying parents, teachers and senior comrades will not be able to make decisions on his own. She does not have a habit that will help in a difficult life situation to make an effort of will and achieve her goal.
• Environment. People grow up in different environments. Someone gets used to fighting for their existence from childhood, while someone simply does not need it. To survive in a metropolis, a child must be strong, courageous and persistent. But in rural areas, kindness, openness and submission to parents are encouraged in children.
• Positive perception of the world. It makes sense to make strong-willed efforts only when a person is counting on a positive outcome of events. If a person does not have confidence that everything will work out for the best, she will have no desire to act.
• Speed of decision making. The person who can react quickly to a changing world will do better than the person who thinks long and hard about the situation.

Factors of Will Emergence

People are rational beings. They will only make efforts when it is really needed. What promotes active actions that involve the will?

• Goals. Willpower must be applied in order to achieve the goal. A person sets himself tasks, sometimes impossible, and goes to them no matter what. Thanks to this approach and inexhaustible enthusiasm, a person can achieve his goal, and in a short time.
• Obstacles. A person will act not only when he wants to. The second reason that can induce him to work is problems and life troubles. In order to successfully resolve a particular situation, sometimes you have to spend a lot of effort. And willpower helps a person to bring the matter to the end.

Personality

The formation of a person comes from the first months of life. But the volitional properties of the personality are laid genetically by the parents. For this reason, the character of each individual individual becomes so different. What are the personality traits?

• Willpower. Already in childhood it becomes clear how collected and persistent a person will be. The volitional properties of the personality are manifested in patience and the fulfillment of these promises. Fortunately, you can always re-educate yourself. This is difficult to do, but with a strong desire, it will take only a year to develop willpower.
• Perseverance. A person can be stubborn, and can be reasonable and assertive. Firstthe property will not bring any dividends to the person. But the second will help a person achieve their goals.
• Excerpt. A person who has set a goal must definitely fulfill it. And in this case, endurance will help him. The person who knows how to bring everything he starts to the end has unique personal qualities that help build a great career.

Character

Parents form from the child what they want and can, up to 8 years old. Then the personality has its own consciousness, and the child begins to think independently about his actions and decisions. Character is a combination of different values, personal qualities and inclinations of a person. And what is a strong-willed character, and what does it consist of?

• Determination. A person must be able to independently make a choice and bear responsibility for it. Today, many people have big problems with this item. People can make a decision, but not everyone wants to be responsible for it.
• Self-confidence. A strong-willed character can only be formed in a person who has good self-esteem. A person must know exactly their strengths and weaknesses.
• Formation of the will. By setting goals and achieving them, a person forms character. Thanks to success, a person’s mood rises, self-esteem rises and it seems that everything in life is easy and simple. Only by overcoming obstacles can a person form what is called will.

Life position that affects the will

People lead different lifestyles. Someone prefers to relax in front of the TV, but during working hours to engage in active physical labor. And someone works with his head, and in his free time goes in for extreme sports. But it's a perfect balance that doesn't come along very often. What are the life positions that affect a person's volitional efforts?

• Active. A person can make decisions and be responsible for his choice. A person sets goals and achieves goals. The alternation of active physical activity with brain activity helps to find harmony. An active life position makes a person participate in various events, demonstrations and social projects.
• Passive. The emotional-volitional sphere is developed in some people very poorly. A person can and will set tasks for himself, but he will not be able to fulfill them, because he will not find in himself the internal motivation to start acting. The desire to get something will be less pronounced than laziness.

The process of development of the will

The emotional-volitional sphere of development helps to focus on the main thing. Man throws aside everything secondary. How does the process of developing willpower go through the stages?

• Formation of the task. Before any goal is realized, it must be invented. Goals are global, but they are quite small, passing. A person may consider some of his ideas feasible, while others he will perceive as something fantasy.
• Thinkingway. When the goal is formed, the person thinks about how he will carry out his project. It can be a step-by-step elaboration of a plan or a sketch of how best to approach the task.
• Implementation of the idea. When the decision to carry out the project is made, the person has no choice but to take action.

Development of strong-willed qualities

Do you want to achieve your goals and not turn off the chosen path? How should the development of volitional qualities of a person take place? You need to choose some small goal with a visible result. For example, lose 3 kg in a week. Think about the path to your goal. You can start jogging in the morning or you can do daily exercise. Perhaps you should reconsider your diet or go on some kind of diet. Record your progress daily in your notebook. When you reach your goal in a week, the motivation from this first step will give you the opportunity to complete a more difficult project. This time, come up with a goal that will take a month to complete. After that, you can come up with a project that can be completed in six months. Gradually set yourself bigger goals. Reaching them will train your willpower.

Test

Want to test your willpower? Then take this endurance test. It was compiled for US Army soldiers. On the surface, everything may seem very easy. Push-ups, sit-ups, everything is like in school. But not everyone can do 4 sets in 4 minutes. How long will it take you to do the exercises?Endurance Test:

• 10 pushups.
• 10 jumps from a prone position. Roll over onto your back when done.
• 10 sit-ups from supine position.
• 10 squats.

Did you pass the test? What result? Not everyone succeeds in meeting 4 minutes, and this is even taking into account that 4 minutes is not the best time. It is advisable to do 4 sets in 3 minutes 30 seconds. Practice every day, reduce time and develop willpower.