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With regards to meeting educational goals — whether you’re studying for a math test, writing your
dissertation or learning a new language — remaining or staying focused can be difficult. In the event
that you have a hard time resisting short-term temptations so you can meet long-term goals, you’re not
alone.
People believe that the number one barrier to making positive behaviour changes is a lack of willpower.
Being able to call upon your willpower will serve you well in school and beyond. In one study, students
who were better able to delay gratification earned better grades and higher test scores, had better
attendance records and were more likely to get into a competitive high school program. What is
researchers’ conclusion? Self-discipline may be even more important than IQ when it comes to
predicting academic success.
1. 10 MINUTES OF MEDITATION
Meditation will give you the fastest results of all of the willpower workouts listed. By meditating you
are training the brain to focus and resist the urge to wander. Research shows that after just 2-3 days of
practicing meditation for 10 minutes, your brain will be able to focus better, you will have more energy,
and you will be less stressed.
2. WORK ON YOUR POSTURE
When testing if willpower could be strengthened, researchers asked a group of participants to work on
their posture for a 2-week period. Every time they caught themselves slouching, they were to correct
themselves by sitting up straight. This simple practice vastly improved their perseverance on various
willpower tests like this one.
To get started, simply correct your posture every time you catch yourself slouching at work or at home.
It sounds extremely simple, but it takes willpower to sit up straight. Every time you do, you’re
essentially doing “one rep” with your willpower muscle.
3. KEEP A FOOD DIARY
The same study also found that those who kept a food diary improved their willpower. Most of us don’t
log all of the food we eat, so it takes willpower to keep track of it all.
4. USE YOUR OPPOSITE HAND
Using the same methodology as with posture, researchers conducted further studies that tested other
corrective actions. One that worked particularly well was to use your opposite hand. Your brain is wired
to use your dominant hand, so it takes willpower to use the opposite.