Willpower is a finite resource and that's OK

Working harder and longer is not a viable long-term strategy.

It takes willpower...

Popular culture would have it that putting your mind to something, putting shoulder to the wheel, will get you to the finish line. This is often true. 

However, as we enter the 'real' world, leaving adolescence and perhaps early adulthood behind, our responsibilities and challenges increase exponentially. I've experienced that simply 'keeping at it', relying on willpower to fight my way through, eventually drained me. There were just too many demands on my time. 

Working harder and longer was not a viable strategy. There's only 24-hours in the day. Eventually I was suffering from serious burn-out. I was also caught off-guard by my waning willpower, it was a total surprise to me to run out of motivation as I've always been able to burn the candle at both ends. But I discovered a brutal reality, there are limits to my willpower...

At first I did what I always did before, I put my head down and dug in. But it's a short-sighted approach. It soon became clear to me that I needed to make a change or drown in failure.

Figuring out my loss of motivation...

Eventually exhaustion sets in...

Thus I did something I've never bothered with before. I went online and started searching for solutions related to productivity, for getting things done, etc. Previously I assumed that, as a hard worker, I had everything under control. Grinding my way through challenges was sufficient. What now? 

The first breakthrough for me was discovering the fact that I used as caption for this post. It surprised me despite its simplicity. The discovery was also a huge relief to me. Multiple writers and researchers on productivity stressed the simple fact that:

...willpower is a finite resource.

Surely willpower as a limited resource is not good news?

Well, yes and no. It would have been great if we all had infinite willpower. That's for sure. But knowing, having the insight, that willpower is in fact finite is liberating.

Chances are that you're a gifted and capable individual - which I believe myself to be. As such you may have the ability to glide through challenges that for many others may be insurmountable.

However, sooner or later you're going to hit your head against the wall that's the limit of your willpower. It's a sobering experience to say the least. But realising that it's perfectly normal to run out of willpower enables you to deal with the reality, rather than puzzling over your sudden lack of motivation.

What to do about it?

What now...?

What to do about your limited willpower? - that's the million dollar question! Literally thousands of books have been written on the subject. In simple terms a surprising number of gifted people have a really hard time getting things done. How come?

In part that's one of the subjects I'll be touching on as this blog grows. But here are a few ideas in relation to willpower:

1. Self knowledge is of paramount importance.


2. You are an individual with a specific history and collection of gene's (nurture & nature) that determines who you are today.


3. You can't change your past, but you can change how you deal with it.
   I'm not inferring that this is purely a challenge for people with a miserable past though. I've been very fortunate in many respects of my life and have a lot to be thankful for. Another reason that I was surprised by a sudden loss of motivation.


4. Willpower is of fundamental importance.


5. There are limits to everyone's willpower, yours included!
   Accept it. Make peace with the reality.


6. You can increase your willpower by using select strategies suited to your situation and personality.


7. Mainly though, dealing with the finite nature of willpower comes down to managing yourself and your environment.


8. Achieving more in both work and life does take hard work, but is not a result of working harder or longer.


9. You can't do everything! You need to be ruthless in prioritising. If it means having to tell your boss or business partner that some things can't be done, so be it. Rather get some things done well than failing at many things.


10. The old cliché is true, instead of working harder you should be more clever about how you work.


11. To achieve productivity not only in work, but importantly in life in general, takes planning and commitment, it doesn't just happen.


12. You can get out of the rut! But it's up to you, no one else. While it's important to draw in supporters (friends, family, colleagues, mentors), only you can alter your approach to life.

Once again, some of what I'll be posting on this blog will deal with the 'how to' of managing yourself and your environment. I trust that some of you may benefit from my reflections. But I do encourage you to not place all of your hope on my blog or some other single source - online or otherwise. There are lots of resources on the internet. Do approach online information carefully though. I would advise that you avoid simplified solutions...

Also make use of real-world resources. Speak to someone you respect, at the very least you'll probably discover that many in your social or work circles face the same challenges. That's a liberating discovery. Simply discussing these challenges with those you respect can help you to gain more perspective and insights on how to improve your own work-life balance and productivity.

Your particular situation may require that you approach a personal coach, a counsellor, a psychologist or the like. If that's the case, don't delay - you can only benefit by approaching a well-qualified and experienced professional.

The journey continues, I hope you'll keep on walking with me. Oh and do comment below. I'd love some feedback and read your insights on the topic.

(image credits from top to bottom: incite counselling; a middle aged man blogs; chump lady)

Living life

Kariega River Mouth panorama. Part of the physical space where I currently live life (own 'sphere' photograph).

Life is short. Life happens. Work to live, don't live to work. Love life.

The list of simple statements about life, living and work is endless. As a teenager I thought I'd have life figured out when I hit forty. As it turns out I don't - at the time of writing this I'm forty four.

Yes, it's true - life is a journey. It features ups and downs, good fortune, near-disasters and actual disasters.

I don't believe there's a simple recipe for life. There are hundreds of puzzle pieces strewn all over the place and as we journey through our lives we turn over more and more of them along the way. Certain patterns emerge and we grow and mature in our understanding of the challenges and opportunities that face us. But I am sceptical of an easy one-size-fits-all blueprint to living.

Yet, life is there to be lived. Surely at the very least one should give it a go, regardless of the cards you've been dealt?

Like many others I think about life continuously. I endeavour to discover 'truths' and insights along the way and to integrate those into my life. Yet, I'm often more comfortable with questions than simple answers.

So today I've decided to start jotting down insights, thoughts, ideas, questions, impressions and lessons learned as I go along. I'll be doing that in this virtual space I've claimed for myself.

Thus, I officially welcome you to: Life - Living - Work. Join me on my journey of discovering life - warts and all. Thanks for your company, even if you may only join me sporadically.

I further invite you to contribute your own reflections. I ask only that it be done with respect to everyone else who may wander in here from time to time. Be frank and open, but respectful of differing opinions.

Let the journey begin.