Where there's a will ...

    Val - tongue-in-cheek, I'm sure - asked for suggestions of books on willpower to help her avoid the baked goods we've been talking about this week.

    In case it's a topic in which there's some interest, I thought I'd give it a post of its own and say that while I'm no expert here, the one book that springs to mind is Gretchen Rubin's latest, Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life. I haven't read it, but I have read and enjoyed her bestselling The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, and having followed Gretchen's blog for years and tuned in to her podcast, I know a certain amount about the substance of the habits book.

    The gist of it is that if you can identify which personality type or 'tendency' you are - upholder, obliger, questioner, or rebel - then you will be better able to adopt particular strategies which will help you establish good habits and avoid the loopholes which can make it harder to break 'bad' habits. Simple!

    If you can recommend a book on willpower, habit-change, personal development generally, do tell us in the comments.

Comments

[Val]

How fun and darn it you know I might just give that book a go!
Thanks :0)

[Claire]

I recently decided that I spent far too much time on the internet - most of it completely pleasant but essentially wasted. I now read a few blogs (of course, yours included!), catch up with e mails and switch off. I set my kitchen timer for 20 minutes to help achieve this and I have to say I miss none of it. Goodness knows what sort of personality type that makes me! Right, I'm now going to turn this lap top off....

[Cornflower]

You're most welcome.

[Cornflower]

Well done, Claire!

[Dark Puss]

I suspect (quite strongly) that reading about breaking bad habits will not lead to magic formula or insight that you have not already thought of (or is blindingly obvious). However having realised that you need to change and that need leads you to read a book (or attend a course or talk about it on a weblog) then you are on your way. I found this out when reading about time management and attending a one-day course on the subject. I learned very little that was new to me but the motivation to manage myself better (and thus read, attend etc.) was clearly strengthened and (some) success has followed.

[Anne B-A]

Dark Puss' observation makes total sense to me - the critical element does appear to be the all elusive willpower. Still searching.......

[Toffeeapple]

I have too much free time to even think about it...