--- description: Need willpower right now? Clench your fists, cross your arms, tense your muscles, and stand up straight. (Improving your posture can improve your self control.)... title: 15 Research Based Secrets to Bulletproof Willpower image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e8570f526a1e265/69876cc4e53aba593c4d6553/rocks.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Psychology](/tag/psychology/) ## Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 15 Research Based Secrets to Bulletproof Willpower by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 6, 2014 5:01 AM CUT  Stack of graduated stones Stack of graduated stonesGetty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 6, 2014 5:01 AM CUT * Need willpower right now? [Clench](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-an-incredibly-easy-way-to-increase-self "undefined") your fists, cross your [arms](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-easily-increase-your-persistence-in-ju "undefined"), tense your [muscles](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-firm-muscles-equal-firm-willpower "undefined"), and [stand up straight](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-quick-and-easy-way-to-make-yourself-t "undefined"). (Improving your posture can [improve your self control](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-an-easy-way-to-increase-self-control "undefined").) * Mental control is important too. [A wandering mind is not a happy mind](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-a-wandering-mind-a-happy-mind "undefined"). Meditation can [improve](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-can-you-do-to-be-less-easily-distracted "undefined") this. Just making too many decisions can leave you depleted and burned out. To reduce this, build good habits and [automate behavior](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-get-more-done "undefined") as much as possible. * Want to eat less at a meal? Wear a [tight shirt](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/the-behavioral-economics-of-thanksgiving "undefined"). [Context](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-most-effective-way-to-change-you-be "undefined") is huge. Whether [the friends eating with you](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-the-body-size-of-those-you-eat-with-affe "undefined") are heavy, whether your [waitress](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-having-an-overweight-waitress-make-you-bl "undefined") is heavy and [how close food is](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-easily-get-yourself-to-eat-less "undefined") to you all make a difference in how much you eat. On the other hand, going hungry will also [reduce self-control](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-hungry-judges-give-harsher-sentences "undefined") because a lot of willpower is about [sugar](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-willpower-all-about-sugar "undefined"). Your mind [plays all kinds of tricks on you](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-your-mind-play-tricks-on-you-when-it-com "undefined") when it comes to food. Skipping breakfast might lead to [murder.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-skipping-breakfast-lead-to-murder "undefined") * All this willpower stuff feeling difficult? [Lean back](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-quickly-and-easily-make-any-task-seem "undefined"). Increasing willpower can be as easy [as pretending you’re left-handed.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-increasing-willpower-as-easy-as-pretending "undefined") Mere [postponement](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-postponement-the-key-to-resisting-temptati "undefined") can be the key to resisting temptation. [Writing things down](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-little-thing-can-increase-the-chance-peo "undefined") makes you more likely to do them. * When we use bigger plates [we almost inevitably eat more](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-the-color-and-size-of-a-dish-affect-how-m "undefined"). When the color of the food contrasts with the color of the plate we almost always eat less. A [mirror in the kitchen](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-simple-thing-can-you-put-in-the-kitchen "undefined") can help you eat less. The wider a variety of foods at a meal, [the more we eat](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-an-easy-way-to-make-sure-you-dont-overe "undefined"). Dining with friends [makes you eat twice as much at restaurants.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-makes-you-eat-twice-as-much-at-restauran "undefined") * If you don’t want to eat that whole bag of chips or spend all that money, [break the amount up into a number of smaller packages](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/a-smart-trick-for-increasing-your-self-contro "undefined"). * Just [a little bit of practice every day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-easily-increase-your-willpower "undefined") can increase your willpower. Saying “I’ll never do that again” [makes you even more likely to do that again.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-saying-ill-never-do-that-again-make-you "undefined") Just [monitoring your behavior](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-more-effective-than-exercise-in-losing "undefined") can improve it. Penalizing yourself for bad behavior [works](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-penalizing-yourself-for-bad-behavior-wor "undefined"). Think about [the pride](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-shame-or-pride-better-for-helping-us-resis "undefined") you’ll feel in conquering desire, not the shame that follows failure. * Religion [increases self-control](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-reduces-your-ambition-but-makes-it-easie "undefined") but reduces ambition. [Thinking about money](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-should-you-think-about-to-immediately-in "undefined") can immediately increase self-control. [Keep a reward in mind](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-can-we-learn-about-self-control-from-suc "undefined") to resist temptation and stick to your goals. * “[Precommitment devices](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-trick-we-can-use-to-make-sure-we-do-t "undefined")” are very powerful. So give a friend $500 and tell them to donate it to the Nazi party if you don’t follow through with your goals. * [Form “if-then” plans](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-easily-resist-temptation-and-incr "undefined"). Decide ahead of time how you will respond when willpower is taxed and you’ll be much more likely to default to that. * We can lose control and overindulge when we think a good mood is fleeting or a bad mood will not go away. [By focusing on why good feelings will last or why bad feelings will pass we can prevent poor decisions.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-maintain-self-control-during-emot "undefined") * “Consumers who respond to temptation [with the words “I don’t” versus “I can’t”](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-a-simple-strategy-help-you-say-no-to-temp "undefined") are more able to resist.” There are [many good tricks](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/fast-easy-tricks-to-avoid-spending-too-much-w "undefined") to stop you from overspending while shopping. * Know the secrets to [achieving your goals](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/the-last-damn-thing-youll-ever-need-to-read-a "undefined"), the [things](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-really-motivates-us-part-2 "undefined") that [really motivate us](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-really-motivates-us "undefined"), and [how to improve yourself](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-most-effective-way-to-change-you-be "undefined"). Know [the three techniques the Army uses to instill mental toughness](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-3-techniques-does-the-army-use-to-instil "undefined") as well as the [four methods the government used to increase Navy SEAL passing rates.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-the-navy-seals-increased-passing-rates "undefined") * Self-discipline is [better than IQ at determining who will be successful.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-better-than-iq-at-determining-who-will "undefined") Exercising self-control in [one area of life tends to improve all areas of life](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-not-doing-something-the-most-important-thi "undefined"). Focus on [greater self-compassion](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/to-increase-willpower-should-you-focus-on-gre "undefined"), not greater self-control to increase willpower. Friends that support you can be the [key to radically changing your life.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-key-to-radically-changing-your-life "undefined") There are [tricks](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-secret-to-breaking-bad-habits-forev "undefined") to breaking bad habits forever. * Don’t get cocky. Thinking you have great self-control [leads to failure](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/think-you-have-good-self-control-yes-now-you "undefined"). Sometimes [little temptations are harder to resist than bigger ones.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-you-more-likely-to-cave-to-weak-temptatio "undefined") (Email can be harder to resist [than alcohol or cigarettes](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/which-is-hardest-to-resist-alcohol-cigarettes "undefined").) **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/15-research-based-secrets-to-bulletproof-will/ "undefined")**_._** **Join over 135,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**.** Related posts: [How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/07/make-your-life-better/ "undefined") [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3618969/secrets-willpower/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3618969/secrets-willpower/"},"headline":"15 Research Based Secrets to Bulletproof Willpower","datePublished":"2014-12-06T05:01:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:04:04.038Z","description":"Need willpower right now? Clench your fists, cross your arms, tense your muscles, and stand up straight. 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