A review by daeus
The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal

5.0

Really well-researched explanations of the limits and complexity of willpower with practical tidbits. One of the main takeaways for me was the concept of 'won't power.' For example, I cannot will myself to sleep (willpower), but I can limit impulses to turn on the TV/play games on my phone, etc (won't power). Other big takeaways are that willpower is finite and that sleep and meditation help with willpower across the board.

Some other good quotes I underlined as I was reading:
- "If we want to strengthen self-control, we may need to think about how we can best support the most exhausted versions of ourselves- and not count on an ideal version of ourselves to show up and save the day."
- "...He also noticed that saying 'yes, but in ten minutes' reduced some of the panic and stress that kicked in when he said a flat-out 'no' to his urge [to smoke]. This made it easier to wait, and a few times he even go distracted and forgot the impulse."
- "We think about our future selves like different people"
- "..the more you try to push away a thought, the more likely it is to fight its way back into consciousness. This doesn't mean the thought is true or important."
- "'If shame worked, there'd be no fat people.'"