There is a virtuous self-reinforcing cycle between willpower
and self-efficacy. If you exert some
willpower to accomplish something with personal value, you feel really good
about it. Not just about the success
itself, but also your ability to get it done using your own power. Your willpower. Your grit and sticktuitiveness. (That was one
of my dad’s favorite words growing up). This
second part leads to an increase in self-efficacy. The increase in self-efficacy makes you more
confident that you can achieve other activities that require willpower. You have more confidence in yourself. Unlike feeling more skilled at the activity
itself, the increase in self-efficacy is more generalizable to other activities
that depend on willpower.
Having this self-efficacy makes you more likely to attempt
activities that require willpower and more likely to succeed at them. Which then leads to more self-efficacy and
more willpower and on it goes. Gretchen
Rubin over at the Happiness Project has some good thoughts on this.
So the message of the story is to try some small things that
demand willpower today. And then watch
it grow.
