The Muscle of Willpower

At some point in life the battle of wants versus needs emerges and it is a crossroads of the subconscious mind on how to approach the decision. If we are privileged enough, controlling the impulses is an innate skill which habit has formed over time. Like many other crucial topics, the discussion of impulsivity gets swept under the rug. My generation is the byproduct of instant gratification from the lack of impartation that comes from analyzing these patterns of behavior. Work life balance is the perfect illustration of the aforementioned: most employees want to work from the comfort of home and forego the professionalism that is going to the office. Generalizing here, many individuals are constantly seeking comfort over practicality that comes from thinking before acting.

Science puts it best… well Newton does, “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction”. Life presents us with numerous decisions in a day and deciphering the best course of action in a moments notice may not always lead to the best outcomes. Today’s world is run on all sorts of markets that are pumping out ads like blood; it is easy to go broke and get scammed while falling down the rabbit hole of bad habits. Many aspects of life are affected when this spiral happens: relationships fall apart; cognitive function and overall health are affected; and people are unsatisfied with their overall quality of life. It is common knowledge that we must move our body to stay healthy as that is the primal function of the homo sapien; in the same right, having the tenacity to exhibit self-control in all areas of one’s day to day exponentially pays off over time. Life is about appreciating the little things – what we truly need – and finding our way to live in the present moment that allows us to have a better future. It only gets easier the more you practice the habit of delayed gratification.