Moment 126: How To Master The Consistency Of Achieving Your Goals & Sticking To Them: Nir Eyal
Sep 8, 2023
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Nir Eyal, behavioural design expert, talks about the self-limiting myth of willpower and how to achieve goals. He emphasizes the importance of acting now with the attributes of your future self. He also discusses the impact of personal meaning and enjoyment on discipline, as well as prioritizing values and time management for goal achievement.
Willpower is not a limited resource but a self-limiting myth, as proven by scientific studies.
To maintain discipline and achieve goals, align values with time allocation for personal growth, relationships, and reflection.
Deep dives
Discipline and Willpower: Do They Really Matter?
According to the latest research, willpower is not a limited resource as commonly believed. The only people who experience a depletion of willpower are those who believe in the concept of limited willpower. This has significant implications for our beliefs about ourselves and our ability to pursue our goals.
The Role of Enjoyment and Engagement in Discipline
Discipline is often easier in areas of life that we enjoy. When we are engaged and find activities pleasurable, it becomes effortless to show up and follow through. However, when the pursuit of a goal becomes difficult or there are external demands that diminish enjoyment, discipline wanes. Identifying values and creating a clearly defined equation that balances enjoyment, engagement, and discomfort can help sustain discipline even in challenging areas.
Becoming Indestructible: Aligning Values and Scheduling Time
To maintain discipline and pursue our goals, it is crucial to align our values with our time allocation. Start by identifying values in self-care, relationships, and work domains. Schedule time for personal growth, meaningful relationships, and reflection. While reactive work is essential, setting aside focused time for reflective work is equally important. By consciously allocating time according to our values, we can become more disciplined and pursue what truly matters to us.
In this moment, the behavioural design and productivity expert, Nir Eyal discusses how the belief that you only have a limited amount of willpower is actually a self-limiting myth. Instead, using scientific studies Nir shows that willpower is a limitless resource. Similarly, Nir says the single factor for why you don’t achieve your goals is from the emotion of not feeling like doing the gradual work it takes to accomplish them. It is because of this that you quit and fail. To prevent this, Nir believes you should act now with the same attributes and values you would want in your future self, the future you that has achieved these targets and goals.