Book Report

 

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.