Willpower Doesn't Work: Discover the Hidden Keys to Success

Write down your if-then responses to all of the obstacles you imagined. Write the conditions in which you will absolutely quit.

You could not be where you are without the challenges you’ve faced, the mentors you’ve had, and all the many people who have created the world you live in. When you believe you are the sole cause of your success, you commit what psychologists call the fundamental attribution error. You attribute your success to yourself. No. Your success, in the wa

The best thing you can do is see people as you see yourself. You can change. You have infinite potential and flexibility, as do other people. Treat them that way. Love them, regardless of whether they violate your personal rules. Then dedicate the rest of your life to becoming the type of person who can reshape the rules of their environment, so th

Ancient philosophies such as stoicism and spiritual beliefs such as Buddhism and Christianity fundamentally oppose a hedonistic approach to life. Embracing challenges, pain, and difficulty are among the primary paths to meaning and growth according to these perspectives.

Unfortunately for those who have fully bought into positive psychology and its findings, a life of pleasure-seeking is not what creates a deep sense of meaning and satisfaction. It’s the load, the challenge, and the opposition that create true fulfillment and accomplishment. True happiness often involves taking a hit in the present to pave the way

Best-selling author Jack Canfield once said, “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” And he’s right. But I’m going to take it one step further. Pain, discomfort, shock, boredom, impostor syndrome, awkwardness, fear, being wrong, failing, ignorance, looking stupid: Your avoidance of these feelings is stopping you from a life greater than

How are you piloting your life? What feedback are you receiving to correct your course? How often do you check your guidance system? Do you even have a guidance system? Where is your destination? When are you going to get there? Are you currently off course? How long have you been off course?

How would you know if you were on the right course? How can you minimize the turbulence and other conditions distracting your path? In the previous chapter, I explained how to disconnect and reset so you could set your trajectory. This chapter explains the importance of having a daily environment to ensure you stay on the right path toward your new

How you intend to take what you learned from your previous week and do better next week Your bigger-picture goals (in a short bullet-point list as a reminder of your “why” and “end” goals) Your proximal goals (things you’re immediately working toward over the next one to six months) Specific to-dos you must finish the following week (including plan