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Willpower is crucial for
success at self-control,
things like sticking to a diet,
quitting smoking,
staying cool in a
pressurized situation.
The problem with willpower is that
it's not a constant capacity, so
a person's willpower will fluctuate
over the course of the day.
We found that
we can increase the likelihood
that someone will succeed at self-control
even when their willpower is low,
by having them just stop
for a second and think about what's
really important to them in their lives,
focusing on their guiding values in life.
For example, the next time you're sitting
at a plate of donuts, I would say go ahead
and have one, but before you have that second
or third one, you might want to stop and think about
what's really important to you, and that might make it
easier to resist that tempting, tasty treat.