The Personality Development Workbook

There is one key personality element which can make the difference between a successful person and an also-ran. This key element is called will power.

An iron will is an unshakable determination to get something done, no matter what. People with a strong will achieve anything they set out to do in life. They are exuberant, energized and enthusiastic. They are not afraid to fail. They won't let their emotions get in the way of achieving success.

A lot of us have great dreams, but most of the time, things just don't happen! We never seem to have the energy or passion to get started. And often, even when we do get started, we lose steam half way down the road and let go of our dream. Others give up when they are met with obstacles. Yet others know what they ought to be doing, but never get around to doing it. They might keep thinking or talking about it, but they won't take action. All these are examples of poor will power.

Can an iron will be developed? How? The human will is very much like a muscle. We can indeed develop its power by exercising it daily. Here are 7 ways to develop an iron will, which will not bend and will keep going until it makes its target.

Exercises for your will

As I said, our will is like a muscle. It needs exercise to gain strength. Every time you give in and not do what you ought to be doing, you weaken your will. Every time your honor your will and control yourself, you strengthen your will. You can practice several ways to exercise your will. Start by identifying any habit that you perform daily. It could be something small and rather insignificant, like the side of the bed you sleep in, the first thing you do upon waking up, the brand of milk you use daily, the hour at which you go to sleep, the time you spend watching TV etc. Once you have identified your habit, resolve to not do it for a week. And then do not do it for a week, no matter what the temptation. If you feel that your will is currently in a very bad shape, start really small and work your way up. Slowly up the ante and perform bigger feats, get rid of worse habits or adopt new positive habits. Each time you resist a temptation, your will power is increasing.

Visualizing the outcome

In order to resist the challenges and temptations, it is often a great idea to visualize the outcome of our perseverance. Think of how good you would feel when you fulfill your resolution. Visualize yourself doing it in a vivid manner. You can also use positive affirmations to help you along. Suppose your aim is to resist chocolate for a week. Every time you are tempted, you could tell yourself, "I am stronger than this chocolate. I can resist it." This can do wonders for your will power.

Positive attitude

Negative attitude and strong will power seldom go hand in hand. When you have a positive attitude, you feel that the challenges will pass away, and that you will win in the end. But if your attitude is negative, you might feel that you can't do it. As the adage goes, losers say that it is possible but difficult. Winners say that it is difficult but possible. Choose which side you want to be on.

Motivating Stories

When we feel that the temptation is too great, we can listen to stories of great achievements to fuel us along. Find out your role model, the person who has achieved the success you want for yourself. Whenever you feel down, you can read up on all the challenges he/she faced to get to where he/she is now. Whenever my motivation level drops, I immediately replenish it by reading the specific parts in the biographies of my role models. We can see that every successful person got to where they were through blood, toil and sweat. You can do it too.

Confidence

A common characteristic of people with great will power is that they are confident. They are sure that they can achieve success. They believe in themselves. A healthy self-esteem and a strong sense of self-worth can do wonders to you. When you are confident, you feel that you can achieve your targets easily. It is easier to resist temptations and not give in. One of the best gifts you can give yourself is the gift of confidence. It will open more doors for you than most other keys combined.

Concentration

People with iron wills have a great singleness of purpose. They are able to concentrate their thoughts only on their target. You can develop this habit, and it will make developing a will easier. Surrounding yourself with messages about achieving your target can help you. Keep pictures of successful people in your chosen field with you. When you see information or pictures that relate to your goal, cut them out and file them. Listen to motivational tapes during your commute. Talk to people who are also doing it. Spend a few minutes each day before you go to sleep and wake up, exclusively to think about your target. Very soon, you will start to color all your thoughts with a singleness of purpose. This concentration is of immeasurable value.

Delayed gratification

The most common reason why people do not have will power is that they need instant gratification. By learning to resist the temptation to do that, you can unlock the path to an iron will. Whenever you get a chance, practice delayed gratification. Feeling sleepy? Resist for fifteen minutes. Tempted to eat a chocolate? Wait half an hour. Feel like an impulsive buy? Postpone it for a week. In this way, you can develop the power of delayed gratification.

By using all these seven strategies together, you can develop a strong will. And you can use that will power to achieve anything you want in life!

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