Written by Jason Whistler, Health & Wellness Expert
Jason Whistler is a leader in health, wellness and personal development and the founder of Yakushi-An wellness centers. He is dual, board-certified in Health & Wellness Coaching and Therapeutic Bodywork and has the distinction of teaching Ninpo Taijutsu for over 20 years.
Do you know anyone who has ever set a health goal or New Year resolution, shared it with others, and a few months later, the goal was forgotten or tossed aside? Perhaps this has happened to you in the past. I know I have done it, and so have most people I have asked. We all have stories like this and myriad reasons for justifying why we didn't reach that goal. One of the usual culprits is a "lack of willpower." Have you used this one, too?
How do we reach difficult goals without willpower?
Simply put, if you want to accomplish a health goal, or any challenging goal, don't rely on willpower alone to accomplish the necessary and often difficult tasks.
Many popular stories today involve an underdog striving valiantly to overcome their circumstances, and we often think this is willpower in action. But this isn't wholly accurate. It is usually a combination of willpower, perseverance, and tenacity that allows a person to persist toward their destination despite challenges. However, even these lose their power over time. So, what's the trick?
Imagine willpower, perseverance, and tenacity are like power tools. Like power tools, these tools also require a steady source of power to function well. How well do they work when the battery runs out, or the cord gets pulled? Can you imagine trying to use a drill to drive a screw without any power? I tried it once, in a pinch, and as you can guess, I quickly gave up on that idea.
How do we acquire the power to persevere?
It all starts with how you set your goals and your reasons behind them. To better illustrate this idea, I would like to share a brief story about one of my clients. To protect their identity, I will call them Jane. It all started around New Year's Day with a resolution to “Get healthy.” Jane reached out, and we set up an appointment for what has proved to be one of the most important conversations we could have.
In that very first conversation, we addressed three critical areas for success in any effort:
Clarify and amplify your goals
First, we drilled down deep to uncover her real goals: to regain her health by losing significant weight and reversing her diabetic condition. Going deep and getting to the core of what we truly want is often scary, and she expressed many reservations about setting such lofty goals. Big, inspiring goals carry a significant risk of failure and a huge potential benefit. That is what makes them both scary and exciting.
Clarify and supercharge your motivation
Second, we sought the purpose, drive, and motivation behind the goals. Jane's "Why" is her reason for pushing herself toward these goals. It needed to be equally, if not more, compelling than the goal itself. She confessed to not having good role models for healthy living in her past and not being one for her children. Jane decided that day to be a role model for healthy living and for being able to change and live beyond her conditioning. She set herself on the path of becoming the person she needed to be to help her children learn to be happy, healthy adults. On top of that, she wants to be able to run around and play with her boys and grandchildren someday!
Leverage past failures
Lastly, we dove into why previous attempts had failed. Jane had many reasons and was ready to defend her previous failures, yet at the core of the reasons were two challenges we all face: clarity of what and why we are striving. The very things we dealt with first this time!
Bringing it all together
Now, seven months later, Jane is making progress and inspiring the people around her, including me. Recently, she decided to start walking more, and on our most recent call, she shared a major accomplishment. Despite the very high temperature that day, Jane walked around the track while her son was at football practice on the field. She was not going to miss an opportunity to walk! She was dripping sweat and smiling in the sun while everyone else was hunkered down in the shade or staying comfortably within their air conditioning.
To be clear, this was not an act of willpower. Jane has legitimately changed her identity over the past seven months and has become the example she wished she had as a child. She is living her “Why” and has clear sights on her goals, which continually propel her forward.
I have no doubt she will continue to smash the obstacles toward her goals and be an inspiration for many years to come!
Key insights from this story
Stop using willpower to force yourself toward unclear, uncompelling goals.
Set your goals so clearly that even a 6-year-old would understand what you wanted and make them big enough to be exciting and scary.
Dig deep and find clarity on your reasons why you must accomplish this goal.
Use the excitement and drive generated by your newfound clarity to propel you and fuel your willpower, perseverance, and tenacity!
I love having these conversations with my clients and the many that follow, where we tackle old beliefs and ingrained habits while co-creating strategies to overcome challenges. I love watching my clients make great strides toward their inspiring and life-changing goals.
I hope you implement these insights in all aspects of your life, starting today. If you want help gaining greater clarity on your own deeper "whats" and "whys" so you stop losing the battle to a lack of willpower, I'm just a call or a click away.
Read more from Jason Whistler
Jason Whistler, Health & Wellness Expert
Jason Whistler is a leader in health, wellness, and personal development, and the founder of Yakushi-An wellness centers. He is dual board-certified in Health & Wellness Coaching and Therapeutic Bodywork, and has the distinction of teaching Ninpo Taijutsu for over 20 years. With a deep understanding of bio-mechanics, health, and human potential, Whistler has developed strategies that significantly enhance physical and mental well-being. He has dedicated his life to helping others break free from pain and stress, enabling them to enjoy more ease, joy, and fulfillment in their lives. His mission: Empower individuals to achieve true life mastery.
