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Marathon, Florida 33050

©2025 –   Amy Morin, LCSW. All Rights Reserved

51 — Boost Your Willpower When It Matters Most

November 3, 2023

Your brain plays psychological tricks on you when you try to change your habits. It will try to talk you into indulging in a bad habit and convince you to abandon your good habits.
 
Fortunately, there’s a powerful strategy we use in the therapy office that can boost your willpower right when you need it most.

 

Here are some things I share:

  • Why our brains try to talk us out of doing things we should do
  • The powerful strategy that will counteract your brain’s tricks
  • How to challenge your brain’s attempts to sabotage your efforts

​

Key Takeaways:

​

  1. Our brains use tricks to tempt us and sabotage our efforts to change habits.
  2. Creating a list of reasons why we should or shouldn’t do something can help boost willpower.
  3. Keeping the list handy and reading it when tempted can help counteract the brain’s tricks.
  4. Adding an extra step, such as reporting our intention to someone else, can further increase accountability and change our behavior.

Quotes:

“Your brain knows tons of tricks to tempt you, and it will use especially dirty tricks.” – Amy Morin

“Your brain will tell you that you deserve a break just so that you won’t go to the gym.” – Amy Morin

“Create your own list of reasons why you should or shouldn’t do something.” – Amy Morin

“Reading over that list motivated him to go work out anyway.” – Amy Morin

“All of those logical reasons about why she shouldn’t talk to him balanced out the emotions that tempted her.” – Amy Morin

“All of those logical reasons about why she shouldn’t talk to him balanced out the emotions that tempted her.” – Amy Morin

“Put it somewhere that you’ll be able to access it when you need it the most.” – Amy Morin

“Commit to reading over that list before you indulge in your habit.” – Amy Morin

Timestamp

0:00:00 The importance of changing habits

0:02:21 Strategy for talking yourself into doing something when you don’t feel like it

0:04:15 Creating a list of reasons why you should or shouldn’t do something

0:05:32 Examples of using the list to change habits

0:10:42 Optional step of reporting your decision to someone else

Connect with the Show

Buy Amy’s books on mental strength

Connect with Amy on Instagram — @AmyMorinAuthor

Email the show — Podcast@AmyMorinLCSW.com

Sponsors

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/mentallystrong, and get 10% off your first month.

Head to reliefband.com and use promo code MENTALLYSTRONGER for 20% off plus free shipping.

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Amy Morin is a licensed psychotherapist, keynote speaker, award-winning host of the Mentally Stronger podcast, and an international bestselling author of six books on mental strength, including the globally acclaimed 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.

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