The
book I chose for my book report was “The Willpower Instinct: How Self Control
Works, Why It Matters, and How You Can Get More of It” by Kelly McGonagal. This
book describes the biology of the brain and how it impacts self-control, various
methods of finding your own willpower when you feel out of control in your decision
making. There are various exercises that
the reader can do for each chapter, called “I Will,” “I Won’t” and “I Want.” “I
Will” exercises allow the reader to pursue goals they have been procrastinating
or pushing off, “I Won’t” exercises train your brain not to give into temptation
such as with eating unhealthy food when on a diet, and “I Want” exercises allow
the reader to prioritize what is important for their future to make more meaningful,
long term decisions. The neuropsychology of decision-making is discussed, such
as the role of dopamine in anticipation of a reward and how to resist temptation,
as well as the economic system’s role in tempting us in the first place. Self-control
is within the individual’s power, and although instincts about wanting things
seem vital to resist, we have to acknowledge them in order to maintain
our willpower. By looking at the different themes throughout this book with a
focus on the exercises, we can begin to regain control over our impulses
instead of letting them rule our lives.
My favorite part of the book was the
technique in chapter two about spending five minutes in nature to renew your
willpower. I thought this part was especially interesting because I personally
love hiking. Hiking always calms me and leaves me rejuvenated to do my
schoolwork. The book calls this “green exercise” and McGonagal explains that it
is better than working out at the gym because it is a “low intensity form of
exercise” that is better for raising your mood. I thought that was especially
true for me because if I am feeling anxious, a walk in the park helps me feel
grounded and more clear minded. Something I thought was a cool tie in to the
course was how exercise, in this case walking in nature, can be a “positive
addiction” and help prevent falling back into “negative addiction.” Exercise is
good for a person’s health and when hiking, I feel more in control of my health
instead of overeating. After reading this book, I want to hike even more than I
already do because it makes me feel more able to manage my physical health and motivated
to make good decisions about my diet.
For the creative part of my book
report, I wrote a poem on willpower and how it is difficult for many people to
access, which was something McGonagal discussed in her book.
“Motivation”
by Adrian James
We
all have moments of failure
At
least some of the time
We
all give up once in a while
For
some reason or rhyme
We’ve
all been told by someone
“You
can’t achieve this goal
Because
you’re not good enough”
And
then we don’t want to try at all
But
if we believe in our abilities
And
trust in our instincts
The
truth is easy to see
That
we can make our dreams come true
If
we push beyond what they say is possible
And
work hard on ourselves
We
can do anything we want
And
we can do it well
So
put your soul into everything
And
remember it’s your life
It’s
your song to sing
So
do it with all your might
My poem describes how many people feel willpower is an impossible feat, but
despite what we tell ourselves, we can do anything we set our minds to. Willpower
is something that may seem difficult, but as long as we have self-knowledge we
can figure out ways to achieve it.
The exercises in this book can most
definitely be extended outside of this class. I intend to use meditation in my
own life to improve my sense of well-being and happiness. Mediation is a common
tool used by people to achieve self-knowledge, and this technique can certainly
be used to improve willpower as described in this book. Learning who you are as
a person and what your faults are is an indispensable skill, and I would
recommend this book to anyone who is looking for ways to improve their life
satisfaction and mental wellbeing.
