View source for Lesson:How to say "No!" to almost anything/ExerciseD1

- You know that { feeling _7 } when you really want to accomplish { something _9 } but it seems like your brain is almost fighting against you. KM: We actually { have _4 } something more like two { minds _5 }. - That’s Kelly McGonigal author of the Willpower Instinct KM: Ah, we have one brain that is { very _4 } responsive to our immediate { needs _5 } and when we’re in that mindset we tend to make { choices _7 } that are inconsistent with our long-term { goals _5 }. But we also all have this other brain, this other mindset that { thinks _6 } about long-term consequences, { remembers _9 } what our big values are, takes a kind of expansive view on our { lives _5 } and our choices. And when we’re in that mindset and that { system _6 } of the brain is in control of our choices, we tend to do things that make our { future _6 } self actually happier and healthier, more productive, more { successful _10 }. - So Kelly says that while many of us think of willpower as the { ability _7 } to say no to that short-term part of our brain, it can actually be much more { effective _9 } to tap into the different types of willpower that help us unleash the long term part of our brain. KM: Many people think of willpower is the ability to resist temptation. But willpower is actually three powers: I will power, I won’t power and I want power. I won’t power is what we typically think of as willpower, it is the ability to resist temptation. I will power, that’s the ability to remember that you want the consequences of doing this { difficult _9 } thing, and the third power I want power the ability to walk around the { world _5 } with a clear memory of what it is you care { about _5 } most. So that when you’re deciding what to eat for { lunch _5 }, it’s not an automatic choice but actually in that { moment _6 } you think about your desire for health. And, actually, what willpower does is it allows you to put your { energy _6 } and attention on exactly what it is you want and what you { care _4 } about. - So if you want to change automatic behavior prompted by that short-term part of our brain, we can’t just rely on I won’t willpower which will eventually wear down. We also have to tap into I will willpower like whenever I’m tempted to eat a { piece _5 } of chocolate cake I will eat a handful of carrots { instead _7 } or I want willpower, like when I’m tempted to { smoke _5 } I'll remind myself that I really want to be alive to see my { grandchildren _13 }. By doing this we're tapping into new sources of will power and will make changing those behaviors that much easier.