Willpower Not Enough?

What do you want to accomplish in the coming year? Like me, you no doubt named goals you want to make a reality. In past years I relied on strong willpower and determination to see me through. But, somewhere along the way, I joined the 78% of people who fail to keep all their New Year's goals. Why is that?

Interestingly, willpower's not enough! Unless we're committed, we're easily distracted. Ever procrastinate about exercise after a long day at the desk, or eat some strawberry delight loaded with whipped cream after a huge meal? Temptations can quickly take us off track. We easily remain in the computer chair to avoid moving when we could go for a hike or begin aerobics. Only a few go after goals with something more than just willpower. Why isn't willpower enough to meet goals?

A new study, published in Psychology and Health, reveals that if you use your willpower to do one task, it depletes you of the willpower to do an entirely different task.

"Cognitive tasks, as well as emotional tasks such as regulating your emotions, can deplete your self-regulatory capacity to exercise," says Kathleen Martin Ginis, associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University.

You'd also be interested in ways our brain affects willpower:

Liberating Effects of Losing Control Relinquishing some willpower or self-control is paradoxically tonic for many individuals.

Interestingly, there are differences in brains of self-controlled individuals versus those who struggle staying on track... "While everyone uses the same single area of the brain to make these sorts of value-laden decisions, a second brain region modulates the activity of the first region in people with good self-control," according to Antonio Rangel of Caltech, "allowing them to weigh more abstract factors--healthiness, for example--in addition to basic desires such as taste to make a better overall choice."

Good news is that the human brain has great plasticity and can change. So the more we practice control, we're also more likely to consider many factors before making a choice.

5 Strategies to meet goals by using more of your multiple intelligences. Here're just a few suggestions

Do it through Daily actions - A daily checklist can be motivating and helps insure you complete tasks involved in meeting a goal, whether that is to read material for a project or to keep calorie count below a certain level. Spatial and Logical-mathematical intelligences

Reward yourself when reaching milestones - People like milestones. By setting milestones along the journey to meet a goal, whether it is getting a college degree or swimming more yards in the length of a minute, choosing rewards appropriate to your accomplishment is important. They work as motivators. Intrapersonal intelligence

Learn from failures If you're impulsive and dropped out of college once and you were not able to obtain a position you enjoy, by keeping this in the back of your mind as you complete the next lengthy report due, the work involved will seem well worth the effort it takes. "Impulsive individuals show a switching pattern, resisting current temptations if they recall having succumbed," according to researchers. "Both impulsive and non-impulsive people did a better job of resisting temptation when they recalled past instances of resisting temptation along with their reasons for resisting." Intrapersonal intelligence

Focus on the future "If we are feeling fresh, it's easy to focus on our goals and exert self-control. But when we've already tested the limits of our self-control, it's harder to keep going," the Agrawal and Wan explain. "This is when focusing on the big picture helps us to keep our eyes on the goal and push ourselves harder. In contrast, focusing on the immediate situation only emphasizes how we've already maximized the extent of our willpower and hinders self-control." By picturing myself on the stage to receive my diploma, I was able to stay up at night to complete all the research, analysis and writing necessary for my doctorate. Spatial intelligence

Play motivating music Music moves your brain waves and can change a mood. Play music you consider up-beat prior to times allotted to work on goal daily, and you'll be ready to make great strides on your goal. What's your first choice? Musical intelligence

What works for you? Name a strategy that helps you past "willpower" that sometimes fails. That will provide us a jump start for 2010!

10 Triggers to More Brainpower

Worthwhile resolutions flow from one year to the next... We keep working on them - especially when it comes to building more brainpower. Lifestyle's key to optimal brain performance. Want to trigger yours?

1. Exercise that pushes blood flow - I like brisk walks and hikes for an hour's duration. In winter I cross country ski and in summer I golf on a course where I walk. What do enjoy for exercise? Exercise increases brainpower.

2. A Mediterranean oriented eating plan - The Mediterranean food plan is made up of more fruits and vegetables, more fish, and more healthy fats than the general American way of eating. I strive for five as Wegman's encourages five generous helpings of fresh fruits and veggies per day! You?

3. New adventures To grow brainpower, enjoy new intellectual adventures rather than sticking to the old. For instance, learn new games and play with others. You might enjoy a new game by Set Enterprises, for instance. Or, take a class, earn a degree, launch a new blog, use new technical tools. As Ellen Weber investigated, try taking a risk that'll benefit you.

Interestingly, searching the Internet increases brain function. A striking finding in a recent research study shows that "Internet searching appears to engage a greater extent of neural circuitry that is not activated during reading — but only in those with prior Internet experience," says Gary Small, director of UCLA's Memory and Aging Research Center.

What would you suggest for a new mental adventure?

4. Personally participate in the arts - Learning, Arts, and the Brain advances our understanding of the effects of music, dance, Currently researchers explore the question: Are smart people drawn to the arts or does arts training make people smarter? Learning, Arts, and the Brain advances our understanding of the effects of music, and drama education on other types of learning. People interested in the arts develop more attention skills. I work on increasing skills in video and photography, you?

5. Spice your foods Spices have more antioxidant power, measure for measure, than fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants help prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and premature aging.

Beneficial spices include: Cinnamon, Ginger, Oregano, Rosemary, Turmeric, Garlic, Sage, Red Chili Peppers, Coriander, Parsley.

6. Play Brain Age video games - stretch your brain Nintendo released "Brain Age" in 2006. NPR's Robert Holt says that playing it makes him feel smarter -- but he's not sure if it actually makes him smarter. Exercising your brain definitely helps. Some research on Brain training games shows a real boost. What have you discovered about these games that you'd pass on?

7. Drink plenty of water daily Must admit I truly push to follow through on this one. Water enhances both body and brain. According to Eric Jensen the brain is 78 percent water. Hydration's needed for attention, critical thinking, learning and memory!

8. Avoid distractions to remain focused Many environments full of distractions divert your attention, and if you allow your brain to keep wandering off, you lose focus. Not too surprisingly, you establish a pattern that's dangerous later in life.

9. Set long and short term targets Goals provide focus. With no guiding vision or plan, people tend to drift. Goals provide a measuring stick for progress. Goals enhance productivity. They bolster self-esteem. And most of all, goals increase commitment, so you're more likely to achieve whatever you set out to conquer. For best results, Hara Estroff Marano of Psychology Today suggests...

* Write your targets.

The act of writing down what you plan to do is a strong motivator. Writing down goals prevents you from leaving goals vague. Use action verbs. Create targets with measurable outcomes. Specify completion dates.

* List obstacles.

Think of everything that might stand in your way. Then create solutions you can use today!

* List benefits of achieving your goal.

Knowing exactly what you will gain from reaching your goal is a strong motivator.

* Identify sub goals.

Break down complicated plans into manageable chunks. Decide what you plan to do, and when. Make sure each step is challenging but achievable, and that you have a complete design for action. Then write it on your calendar and review regularly.

* Learn what you need to know.

If information or skill is keeping you from achieving your targets, determine ways to fill in gaps, and build this into your action plan. Be willing to study and work hard to reach your goals. Ask yourself whether you are really willing and able to do what is necessary.

* Enlist help from others.

Find someone, a coworker or friend, with whom you share a common goal. Get someone to go to the gym with you, or to quit smoking with you, or to share healthy meals with you. A partner can help you stay committed and motivated. Look for role models, people who have already achieved the goals you seek to reach. Ask him or her for advice and suggestions. Find how that supervisor reached this current position, and incorporate what you learn into your plan.

* Visualize yourself achieving each target.

Make your visualization real. Find a quiet place, picture, write down your experiences afterward. Go through magazines and cut out images that represent your goal, then put them around the house. Provide constant reminders to yourself about what you're working toward. Describe your ideal life in the future. Write a few paragraphs describing what you've accomplished, and how your life improved as a result. Use present tense as if it is happening right here, right now. This makes vision real.

* Get organized.

Prepared and organized, you will feel better about your ability to reach your targets. Having information scattered in too many places makes you feel out of control and undermines motivation. Set up a filing system, set aside your workout clothes.

* Reward yourself each step of the way.

Treat yourself to rewards that give you a hefty lift as you accomplish milestones on your road to success.

10. Keep Belly Fat Under Control Belly fat can creep up on you and it's dangerous to your brain. People who have belly fat in their 40's are more likely to experience dementia in their 70's. That enough to get you moving in the right direction... it is for me! That's why my plan to live a lifestyle outlined above will keep me on a great path in 2009 and every year thereafter.

Sure took lots of motivation over the holidays to stick to these Triggers for More Brainpower, but I didn't wander from the path. Hope to keep this going throughout the New Year and beyond. Want to join me?

Target to Meet Challenges for 2008

Tell me truthfully -- how many New Year's Resolutions did you keep from last year? According to a survey taken by Franklin Covey, the top three resolutions were to (1) Get out of debt or save money; (2) Lose weight; (3) Develop a healthy habit like exercise or healthy eating. When you think about New Year's Resolutions what would it take to make them more than good intentions? Fact is, most resolutions wind up as just good intentions, but you can change that!

Unless you and I target a daily or weekly plan and actually put feet to our resolutions, we can miss goals we truly want to achieve. So what could make the difference for a bigger bank account, a more svelte body and great physical and mental conditioning? Here're some helps to make 2008 New Year's resolutions become reality...

List your resolutions Jotting things down helps you figure out what you really want to do with your time, according to Kathleen McGowan, so that you get a handle on whether your goals are realistic.

And, here's a great strategy... Once you've displayed resolutions on the refrigerator door, there's no avoiding them. When they're staring at you every morning on the bathroom mirror, it's harder to forget that you made those promises to yourself.

Reprogram your brain... Every day that you begin to cut back on spending, for instance, you reprogram your brain for a new routine. Old patterns are stored in the basal ganglia of your brain and they don't change overnight. Your brain has great plasticity so that it can change. For example, the more you begin to be more frugal, the more your brain will help you develop a mindset for a more frugal lifestyle.

Go easy on yourself if you slip up once in awhile and start the next day with new resolve by discovering yet another way to save.

Make a game out of your resolution. Games are fun. Nobody likes doing something because they have to do it. So reward yourself now and then along the way. This will bring you more Serotonin, a brain hormone that brings well-being.

And, here's another strategy to bring more Serotonin...

Stay positive! When you think of possibilities you'll be challenged to see if you can make them a reality. Keeping a positive mindset actually helps make your resolve to save more money a reality.

Ready to give resolutions another try in 2008? I don't know about you, but I slipped when too much good food was served at Christmas so I've got some work to do as I launch the New Year! And I want to make svelte body a reality, not just a good intention!