The Skinny On Willpower
How to Develop Self-Discipline
Real Reviews
“This is a new way of communicating. First, it’s a very good syntheses of the ‘state of what we know’ about a subject. Second, the very ingenious format communicates well. Third, it’s effective. It really simplifies its message and hammers it home.
I am a lawyer, and I make my living by communicating to other people, and sometimes you run into a method that is so surprisingly effective, you have to shake your head in wonder and admiration. I am impressed at the skill of communication going on here!”
- J.B. Kraft, Amazon reviewer
“Don’t let the stick figures fool you – The Skinny on Willpower is a funny book that offers up some seriously good information on how to declutter your brain and discipline yourself to achieve your personal and professional goals. Jim Randel will have you laughing and thinking at the same time. A very enjoyable read!”
- Ken Blanchard, Co-author, The One Minute Manager and The One Minute Entrepreneur
“When I finished this book, I was literally overcome with goosebumps at how simple it all seems to turn things around for the better and to put it in one simple phrase; it just involves a positive mental attitude. I feel like I’ve been inspired to make a change instantly, but I know that if I just jump right in there, then I’ve not learned much from this.”
- Steven Stewart, Member of Amazon’s Invitation-Only Review Group ‘Vine Voice’
“A new dialogue style of writing to quickly explain powerful concepts…. I enjoy the manga style writing that simplifies and minimizes the time necessary to grasp concepts. In this case, this 233-page book took only one hour to read and left me with an understanding of the concepts and a hunger to read more on some subjects.”
- William T. McGee, Member of Amazon’s Invitation-Only Review Group ‘Vine Voice’
What You’ll Learn
Ninety-nine percent of those individuals who achieve their goals do so not because they are especially talented, intelligent, good-looking or even lucky, but rather because they find the courage and guts to act in pursuit of their dreams and persist against setbacks.
Willpower – the strength to act, or forbear from acting in the pursuit of a goal – is a critical determinant to success.
With any goal, there are times when action is needed (“I should go to the gym”) and times when forbearance is needed (“I should not have dessert”). What happens between one’s thought and one’s response is the result of one’s willpower, or lack thereof.
Our team digested every piece of media we could find on the subjects of willpower and self-discipline, synthesizing 56 sources into a 156-page book. We spoke with professors and researchers. We interviewed highly successful people – movie and TV celebrities, professional and Olympic athletes, well-known politicians, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and successful entrepreneurs.
Our goal is to teach you all that we have learned. We hope that by doing so, we will give you ideas for adapting your behavior in the development of the willpower you may need to achieve your personal goals.
Top 15 Lessons on Willpower
1. Be sure you are totally committed.
2. Prepare yourself for a difficult journey.
3. Prepare for your challenge by reducing the instances in which you will need to exert willpower.
4. Identify your goal and the process to get there in as concrete, specific, and finite terms as possible.
5. Divide your challenge into small, manageable pieces.
6. Maintain vigilance over your thoughts.
7. Control your dominant thoughts.
8. Frame your challenges in a pleasurable, not painful, manner.
9. Pick your spots.
10. Force yourself to visualize the end of a succession of ‘either/or’ choices.
11. You already have more willpower than you realize.
12. The more you use your willpower, the more confidence and strength you have for new challenges.
13. Turn positive activity into habits.
14. Self-discipline is not self-deprivation.
15. Strong willpower can take you to new heights in life.