In my earlier post, I explained how willpower is like a muscle that wears out with use over time. I imagined the executive function of our brain, which motivation expert Dr. Piers Steele calls “willpower’s throne,” is much like Men in Black’s High Prince Baltia, the little guy with little arms, working the controls.
When the arms wear out, we lapse. We give in to temptation. We fly off the handle. We lose our concentration.
Far from being an excuse to lose control, this insight is power to keep ourselves from lapsing. When we understand that willpower is a resource that can be depleted, we learn how to keep ourselves from running out of volitional gas.
Think of it this way. If you thought your car had an unlimited gas tank, you’d never watch the gauge. You’d never fill up. So you’d run out. A lot. You’d find yourself at the side of the road, time after time. But if you knew the tank could run dry, you’d monitor it. You’d take a pit stop and fuel up instead of just driving and driving.
People who don’t understand how the muscles of willpower wear down with use are like drivers who don’t know they have a gas tank. They find themselves worn out and weak. They lose control. But those who understand how the muscles of will actually work are able to fuel up and rest before they run out.
