Willpower: Definition, Examples, & Quotes​

By Julia Najm, M.A., Ph.D.
​Reviewed by Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.
What is willpower? In this article, you will learn what willpower means, the psychology of willpower, the benefits of it, and how to harness it to achieve your goals.​
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With the start of every new year, comes a promise of a resolution. Resolutions such as improving your health, saving money, and making time for self-care. The mantra of "new year, new me" is a common saying/reason that underlines this process. The timeless New Year's resolution tradition requires you to make a goal and engage in actions that propel you toward it. ​
Gyms tend to have a surge of new members in January that they don’t have in other months of the year. However, by February the gym crowds dwindle with significantly fewer signs of new members than the month before. Are people really meeting their fitness goals in that short time or is it the decrease of individual motivation, willpower, and discipline that are responsible for the January to February shift?

As a self-proclaimed "foodie" and marathon TV watcher, engaging in actions aimed at improving my physical health with the traditional methods of diet and exercise is especially challenging. But my family's tradition of running a 5K for a cancer fundraiser, meant finding the willpower to endure the training so I can share in the joyous accomplishment of reaching the finish line for a worthy cause.

Before being able to harness and grow willpower, understanding what it is and how it relates to our lives is an important first step.​
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What Is Willpower? (A Definition)​

Willpower is a marker for self-control; a true test of self-determination that requires significant effort to continue moving forward in the direction of a goal, even in the face of temptation (American Psychological Association [APA], 2023; Baumeister & Tierney, 2012). This means delaying gratification until the goal is achieved. Delayed gratification has been studied by many researchers to show that we can choose behaviors that resist immediate gratification for a future outcome (Mischel et al., 1989).

Ever seen those videos where parents will put candy in front of their child and say you can't eat this until I come back and if you wait you will get double the amount? Some children will wait, resisting the temptation of the delicious candy sitting right within their reach, knowing they will get to have more soon. Others will go right for it despite the consequences. This shows that understanding the connection between our current behavior and future outcomes is important and being willing to sacrifice immediate gratification for a bigger payout is a part of the process.

Exercising willpower also means navigating against internal and external barriers such as thoughts, feelings, urges, impulses, and environmental factors. Willpower is like a motor, driving us to persist in tasks even when it's hard. And like a motor, it needs fuel and maintenance to operate (we’ll explain this more in later sections).

Opposite of Willpower​

The opposite of willpower is impulsivity. This means relying on our bodies' automatic and reactive behaviors rather than leaning into our abilities to reason, plan, and exert effort or self-control. This can be like giving in to any urge, thought, feeling, mood, or temptation. For example, someone who recently quit smoking might give in and smoke after experiencing a craving. It's also important to remember that our environment, our access to resources, and our physical and mental health can impact our ability to apply willpower effectively. Factors outside of your control can make it harder to exercise willpower so all we can do is try our best to practice it and seek support when we need to.

Benefits of Willpower

Engaging in willpower has been shown to increase academic performance, self-esteem, and quality of life by making healthier lifestyle choices (APA, 2023; Baumeister & Vohs, 2018). Willpower can also lead to increased productivity (Bucciol et al., 2009) such as resisting the urge to watch TikTok when studying for school finals.

Examples of Willpower

Willpower can be prevailing, as you steer through adversity, unlocking your fullest potential. For example, there have been famous individuals in history that have shown the strength of willpower. 
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  • Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the Civil Rights movement, fought for equality and continued to inspire others even when imprisoned and hurt. Without his ability to persist even in the face of adversity, the United States would not have passed laws that led to the lasting positive change that has impacted our society to this day.
  • Also, J.K. Rowling, the author of the widely successful Harry Potter books, was rejected dozens of times by publishing companies before being accepted by one. Without her willpower, her internationally bestselling novel would not have touched the lives of children and adults alike, growing imaginations and influencing other writers.

These individuals showed that willpower can change your life and the lives of others.​

The Psychology of Willpower

Our beliefs, attitudes, and perspectives intersect with willpower. The way we view ourselves and the world around us impacts our ability to wield willpower in a meaningful way. Believing that you can achieve your goal is a crucial step in actually doing so. Studies have shown that when individuals have a growth mindset, they are more likely to tackle challenges and increase their chances of reaching success (Mrazek et al., 2018). Individuals who believe that their abilities are flexible and can be developed through practice are more likely to better tolerate frustration and employ effortful strategies to achieve their personal goals (Tao et al., 2022). And in another study, having a "growth" mindset increased persistence in challenging tasks and led to greater awareness and resistance to temptations in daily life (Mrazek et al., 2018).

How to Get Willpower​

We use willpower every day and encounter temptation frequently. Choosing to save the remaining of your earnings instead of buying that new pair of shoes you saw online or holding back from sending an angry email to a co-worker who didn't complete their half of the work by the deadline is willpower. We all have the capacity to exercise willpower, but how can we strengthen it, especially in times of stress?

Finding ways to avoid temptation, having a plan of action beforehand of how you might address a barrier if it comes up, and determining your reasoning or motivation to resist the temptation (APA 2023; Webb & Sheeran, 2003) help gain willpower. Reminding yourself of your main goal and why it is important to you can make all the difference. In other words, what are you working towards and will the work you are putting in now be worth it for your future?​

Willpower Exercises

Finding opportunities that allow you to practice self-control can exercise willpower. Strategies such as engaging in mindfulness or meditation can be helpful (Audiffren & Baumeister, 2022). This means refocusing your attention on the present moment, using breathing as one anchor to ground you, and being open to your current experience with a non-judgmental attitude. This strategy can come in handy when faced with a glaring temptation.

Setting specific and realistic goals that can be broken down into steps can also help you exercise willpower effectively. Want to go back to school? Want to make more friends? Want to get a new job? These are all great and potentially realistic goals that do not happen overnight. Each goal takes time to achieve with a step-by-step plan and willpower to push you forward.

Is Willpower a Muscle?

Willpower is like a muscle in that with overuse comes fatigue or exhaustion in the short term (Muraven & Baumeister, 2000). You may feel mentally fatigued when consistently and frequently resisting temptation, especially if you are already stressed. However, "working out" or exerting self-control, generally when approaching a singular and realistically achievable goal, can strengthen your willpower in the long term (Muraven et al., 1999).

Is Willpower Finite?

Mental energy is being expelled when you use willpower and theories on "willpower depletion" have been researched to explain this process. For example, studies have shown that participants who engaged in self-control in one task (e.g., refraining from eating a sweet treat) had a harder time exerting the same level of self-control or willpower on the 2nd task (e.g., giving up when solving a challenging puzzle; Baumeister et al., 1998).
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Our brain works effectively with the help of glucose (e.g., blood sugar) also known as our body's energy source or fuel. Engaging in activities that require the use of willpower has been shown to lower glucose levels (Gailliot & Baumeister, 2007) suggesting that willpower could be a finite resource that can be replenished.

However, other researchers have suggested that willpower can never be fully exhausted and can be restored or seen as a "nonlimited" resource. For instance, willpower can ebb and flow similarly to emotions, and like emotions, willpower can never run out (Inzlicht et al., 2014).

Some researchers have found that our attitudes, beliefs, and mood can impact willpower. Individuals who were in a "good" mood, believed that willpower was not finite, and who were motivated to engage in willpower for their own goals (rather than to please others) were less likely to feel depleted (Job et al., 2010).

Willpower Mantras

We all have days where everything goes wrong that we could not have prevented or controlled. Even with our best intentions, we can struggle to do tasks that maybe we were able to do before. No one is perfect and the process of wellness is a continuous one that has many twists and turns. Having a mantra can be a quick and helpful tool in helping you develop a "growth" mindset, building your self-confidence, and activating your willpower, especially on those hard days.

​Here are 3 steps in creating your mantra:
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  1. Remember the reason or value underlying the goal you have set. Why is it important to you?
  2. List out what steps you have already taken and accomplished to get to the point you are at today. Remember to try and be encouraging to yourself as if you were reminding a friend about all the hard work they have done.
  3. Think of one simple phrase or word that combines steps one and two.

Willpower vs Motivation

Willpower and motivation go hand and hand. If willpower is the motor that drives us, then motivation is like the gas.. Motivation is the reason why you want to achieve the goal in the first place. In other words, motivation is the value underlying the importance of the goal. For example, when I trained for the 5k marathon it was not an enjoyable task for me and some days I did not look forward to working out. But my values of family connection, advocacy, and sense of accomplishment were my motivation that helped activate my willpower to get out of my cozy bed and run at 5am (even when I really didn't want to).

Willpower vs Discipline

Discipline is the building block of healthy habits. Sometimes discipline can be synonymous with willpower, but it differs in that discipline is a commitment to engage in a behavior consistently and repeatedly. As I mentioned before, if willpower is the motor and motivation is the gas then discipline is the routine maintenance that helps the motor run smoothly. The commitment to choose actions that are in line with your values and that fit the step-by-step plan to meet your goal is discipline.

Willingness vs Willpower

Willingness is a choice to be open to experiences, especially ones that require effort and hard work. Willingness differs from willpower in that it starts the journey or process of achieving your goal like the car or motor's ignition switch. Willingness means being open to changes, frustration, and disappointment—all to reach your goal. If willingness is not present, then the plan to meet the goal fails before it can even begin.​

Quotes on Willpower

These encouraging quotes speak to the meaningfulness of willpower and its application of it in life.
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  • "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." – Martin Luther King Jr.
  • "This is your world. You're the creator. Find freedom on this canvas. Believe, that you can do it, 'Cuz you can do it. You can do it." ― Bob Ross
  • "The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus." - Bruce Lee

Videos on Willpower

Video: Willpower: How to Increase Self-Control

Video: Neuroscientist: You Will Never Lack Willpower Again (In 3 Steps)

Articles Related to Willpower

​Want to learn more? Check out these articles:

Books Related to Willpower

If you’d like to keep learning more, here are a few books that you might be interested in.

Final Thoughts on Willpower​

The key takeaways about willpower are:
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  • Willpower means persisting in a task and delaying gratification even when it is hard and there is temptation to do the opposite.
  • We all have the ability to exercise willpower and strengthen it.
  • Our beliefs, attitudes, and mood impact the effectiveness of willpower.
  • Engaging in practices such as mindfulness or meditation, setting specific and realistic goals, and breaking down singular goals into smaller steps, can help exercise willpower and strengthen it over time.
  • Remind yourself that no one is perfect and willpower is just a tool that can be wielded to help you achieve your goals.

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Grow Your Wellness Business Exponentially!

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