If you feel motivated or enthusiastic before doing something, it’s great. The problem comes when you start assuming it as your cue for taking action because then, you are depending upon it. Next time, you are unenthusiastic, you won’t do it.

<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Willpower, unlike motivation, is reliable. If you are forcing yourself to do something, you get accountability for your actions and that’s dependable.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Willpower can be strengthened. You can improve on your ability to take actions despite feeling resistance due to feelings.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Willpower strategies are consistent. If you rely on motivation, you will have a tough time scheduling and repeating behaviours.</li></ol>

Willpower Over Motivation: Why It Works?

<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Motivation is unreliable, since it is based on how we feel (bad days, good days). We have known for centuries that human emotions are fluid and unpredictable.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Motivation comes by believing in positive aspects of a goal and it’s really hard to change your feelings just by thinking. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Motivation is destructive. When you rely on motivation to make you do something, there will always be decreasing enthusiasm following up and every subsequent time you will be requiring more of motivation to even get started.</li></ol>

STOP Your Dependence On  Motivation: Here’s Why

Discover the Life-Changing Strategy of This Worldwide Bestseller in 17 Languages! UPDATED: Includes the best habit tracking apps of 2017. Lasting Change For Early Quitters, Burnouts, The Unmotivated, And Everyone Else Too When I decided to start exercising consistently 10 years ago, this is what actually happened: I tried "getting motivated." It worked sometimes.I tried setting audacious big goals. I almost always failed them.I tried to make changes last. They didn't. Like most people who try to change and fail, I assumed that I was the problem. Then one afternoon--after another failed attempt to get motivated to exercise--I (accidentally) started my first mini habit. I initially committed to do one push-up, and it turned into a full workout. I was shocked. This "stupid idea" wasn't supposed to work. I was shocked again when my success with this strategy continued for months (and to this day). I had to consider that maybe I wasn't the problem in those 10 years of mediocre results. Maybe it was my prior strategies that were ineffective, despite being oft-repeated as "the way to change" in countless books and blogs. My suspicions were correct. Is There A Scientific Explanation For This? As I sought understanding, I found a plethora of scientific studies that had answers, with nobody to interpret them correctly. Based on the science--which you'll find peppered throughout Mini Habits--we've been doing it all wrong. You can succeed without the guilt, intimidation, and repeated failure associated with such strategies as "getting motivated," New Year's Resolutions, or even "just doing it." In fact, you need to stop using those strategies if they aren't giving you great results. Most popular strategies don't work well because they require you to fight against your subconscious brain (a fight not easily won). It's only when you start playing by your brain's rules and taking your human limitations seriously--as mini habits show you how to do--that you can achieve lasting change. What's A Mini Habit? A mini habit is a very small positive behavior that you force yourself to do every day; its "too small to fail" nature makes it weightless, deceptively powerful, and a superior habit-building strategy. You will have no choice but to believe in yourself when you're always moving forward. The barrier to the first step is so low that even depressed or "stuck" people can find early success and begin to reverse their lives right away. And if you think one push-up a day is too small to matter, I've got one heck of a story for you! Aim For The First Step They say when you aim for the moon, you'll land among the stars. Well, that doesn't make sense, as the moon is closer than the stars. I digress. The message is that you should aim very high and even if you fall short, you'll still get somewhere. I've found the opposite to be true in regards to productivity and healthy behaviors. When you aim for the moon, you won't do anything because it's too far away. But when you aim for the step in front of you, you might keep going and reach the moon. I've used the Mini Habits strategy to get into the best shape of my life, read 10x more books, and write 4x as many words. It started from requiring one push-up from myself every day. How ridiculous is that? Not so ridiculous when you consider the science of the brain, habits, and willpower. The Mini Habits system works because it's how our brains are designed to change. Note: This book isn't for eliminating bad habits (some principles could be useful for breaking habits). Mini Habits is a strategy to create permanent healthy habits in: exercise, writing, reading, thinking positively, meditating, drinking water, eating healthy foods, etc. Lasting change won't happen until you take that first step into a strategy that works. Give Mini Habits a try. You won't look back.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

Discover the Life-Changing Strategy of This Worldwide Bestseller in 17 Languages! Lasting Change For Early Quitters, Burnouts, The Unmotivated, And Everyone Else Too  When I decided to start exercising consistently 10 years ago, this is what actually happened: I tried &quot;getting motivated.&quot; It worked sometimes.I tried setting audacious big goals. I almost always failed them.I tried to make changes last. They didn't.Like most people who try to change and fail, I assumed that I was the problem. Then one afternoon--after another failed attempt to get motivated to exercise--I (accidentally) started my first mini habit. I initially committed to do one push-up, and it turned into a full workout. I was shocked. This &quot;stupid idea&quot; wasn't supposed to work. I was shocked again when my success with this strategy continued for months (and to this day). I had to consider that maybe I wasn't the problem in those 10 years of mediocre results. Maybe it was my prior strategies that were ineffective, despite being oft-repeated as &quot;the way to change&quot; in countless books and blogs. My suspicions were correct. Is There A Scientific Explanation For This?As I sought understanding, I found a plethora of scientific studies that had answers, with nobody to interpret them correctly. Based on the science--which you'll find peppered throughout Mini Habits--we've been doing it all wrong. You can succeed without the guilt, intimidation, and repeated failure associated with such strategies as &quot;getting motivated,&quot; New Year's Resolutions, or even &quot;just doing it.&quot; In fact, you need to stop using those strategies if they aren't giving you great results. Most popular strategies don't work well because they require you to fight against your subconscious brain (a fight not easily won). It's only when you start playing by your brain's rules and taking your human limitations seriously--as mini habits show you how to do--that you can achieve lasting change. What's A Mini Habit?A mini habit is a very small positive behavior that you force yourself to do every day; its &quot;too small to fail&quot; nature makes it weightless, deceptively powerful, and a superior habit-building strategy. You will have no choice but to believe in yourself when you're always moving forward. The barrier to the first step is so low that even depressed or &quot;stuck&quot; people can find early success and begin to reverse their lives right away. And if you think one push-up a day is too small to matter, I've got one heck of a story for you! Aim For The First StepThey say when you aim for the moon, you'll land among the stars. Well, that doesn't make sense, as the moon is closer than the stars. I digress.  The message is that you should aim very high and even if you fall short, you'll still get somewhere. I've found the opposite to be true in regards to productivity and healthy behaviors. When you aim for the moon, you won't do anything because it's too far away. But when you aim for the step in front of you, you might keep going and reach the moon. I've used the Mini Habits strategy to get into the best shape of my life, read 10x more books, and write 4x as many words. It started from requiring one push-up from myself every day. How ridiculous is that? Not so ridiculous when you consider the science of the brain, habits, and willpower. The Mini Habits system works because it's how our brains are designed to change. Note: This book isn't for eliminating bad habits (some principles could be useful for breaking habits). Mini Habits is a strategy to create permanent healthy habits in: exercise, writing, reading, thinking positively, meditating, drinking water, eating healthy foods, etc. Lasting change won't happen until you take that first step into a strategy that works. Give Mini Habits a try. You won't look back.

Stephen Guise is an international bestselling author, blogger, and entrepreneur. His books have been translated into 21 languages.As an author, Guise is known for delivering highly actionable, world-class behavior change strategies in a humorous wrapper.