Willpower has nothing to do with the world's most productive individual.We've got everything about Elon wrong. It's widely assumed that Elon Musk's superhuman willpower – a robot-like mental disposition that allows him to avoid temptation, minimize distractions, and execute a level of discipline that would make even the most dedicated Navy Seals look like kindergarteners – has earned him the title of world's most productive person.
However, this is not the case.
These aren't the reasons why Elon Musk is renowned. His accomplishments have little to do with his willpower. Effortful self-control (the name we scientists use for willpower) is consistently unrelated to goal achievement, according to science. Even Musk himself is guilty of this. So, how does he manage to do it? And how are you going to do it?Willpower is a myth.
What actually counts, and what we should pay attention to in our personal and professional lives, is the availability and prominence of temptations in our workplaces. This implies we need to become choice architects, curating our settings in ways that steer us toward our objectives and away from everything else.We decrease temptations, become less cognitively fatigued, and so more capable of achieving our goals, especially in the long run, by purposefully and only surrounding ourselves with alternatives that are beneficial to our aims.
How are we going to do it? This is where science enters the picture.Consider the following scenario: your cell phone is vibrating with updates from your social media accounts; your colleagues are conversing in the background; and your coffee mug is empty, begging for another coffee break.Is it easier to reject each of these temptations (i.e., practice self-control) or to avoid being in this setting in the first place? The first is admirable, but try it again. The latter is the one that truly works. It's known as situation selection, and it's when you take steps to avoid putting yourself in a "desire-inducing" setting.
Isn't it true that it's easier said than done? Maybe. Try circumstance modification if you're seeking for a more friendly option. It means just what it sounds like: altering a feature of your surroundings to better align it with your objectives. So, instead of leaving your phone at home (option), turn it off and stash it in a drawer for a few hours (modification).The Influence of a Nudge
A nudge is a low-stakes, non-coercive contextual cue that gently guides you toward your best behavior response. For example, if a piece of fruit is displayed at eye level at the check-out counter, you are more likely to purchase it
Do you want to start exercising in the mornings? The night before, put your training clothing at the foot of your bed. Do you want to be more environmentally conscious? Stick a post-it note on the back of your door that says "Take the stairs." Do you want to get your kids to recycle more? Above the recycling bin, tape a tiny basketball net.
To put it another way, organize your surroundings so that simply paying passive attention to what's going on around you gets you one step closer to your behavioral goal.Make Your Habits Work for You
It's one thing to do something good once, but it's quite another to make it a part of your daily routine. Fortunately, you can get there in four easy steps.
Cue, craving, response, and reward are the four pillars on which habits are created. A cue alerts your brain that a reward is nearby; a craving is your desire to act on the cue; a reaction is the action itself; and a reward is what you get for completing the activity.What will you do with this information? Make the trigger evident, the yearning appealing, the reaction simple, and the reward pleasant if you want to form a good habit.
Let's pretend you're stressed out (cue). You whip out your handy pocket journal and jot a few words about how you're feeling to ease the stress (craving) (response). As a result, you acquire emotional clarity (reward), and writing in your diary becomes a good stress-relieving trigger (habit formed).
Make the signal invisible; make the craving unappealing; make the reaction difficult; and make the reward disappointing if you want to break a bad habit.
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