There is no such thing as willpower. If the cake calls your name, who amongst us has the willpower to just say, “no!?” We are more than likely than not to cave in and eat it! Want Power means that we want to lose weight enough to make sure that there’s no cake in the house – that we want to be thin enough to go that extra mile – to do what it takes!
Build Your Want Power Muscle from Beliefnet Blogger, Janice Taylor.
Do you know what you want?
Sometimes it is easier to know what we DON’T want rather than what we DO want. In order for you to build your want power muscle so that your want power is stronger than Popeye after a can of spinach, try this:
Before every shopping expedition, television show, meeting, phone call to family member; in other words, before every event or decision, ask yourself “What do I want?”
“What do I want?” Would you prefer to buy a black dress or a brown dress? Did you want to make low-fat pizza for dinner tonight or a mammoth chicken salad? Did you want to watch “Weeds” or “Big Love?” From the most mundane to the most serious of decisions, just pause and ask, “What do I want?”
Low-Wattage Light-Bulb Moments
I found this exercise extremely helpful. Almost every pause set off a low-wattage light-bulb moment. It became clear that I often went to movies that I did not want to go to in order to appease people who I really didn’t want to appease. I ate at restaurants and ordered food that I really did not want, because I did not want to annoy anyone. I stayed places way longer than necessary. Connecting to these ‘a-ha want’ moments shed some light on my under-developed want muscle.
As these little wants connected to bigger wants, my want muscle grew stronger. I was able to get in touch with my gut feelings – my emotional state as well as the physical sensations that connected to really wanting something. My decision making process became a lot more fluid and stronger, and I began to clearly see what I wanted (vs. what I did not want).
What do you want?
New Point of View: There is no such thing as willpower only want power!
Spread the word, not the icing!
Janice
For second helpings of want power, join Our Lady’s Kick in the Tush Club community.
And pick up a copy of All Is Forgiven, Move On (builds want power muscles 101 ways)!
Beliefnet
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posted July 13, 2008 at 6:37 am
I’ve got plenty of want power. Now, I need to put it to good use. I think I’ll make a list of all I want.
posted July 13, 2008 at 6:37 am
Yes, that is so true! My brother gave me a wonderful piece of advice, which enabled me to give up smoking (15 years ago) after I had tried unsuccessfully for years. Here it is: When I said that I had no will power to give it up, he said that I had lots of will power to keep right on smoking. When my will power to stop smoking was stronger than my will power to keep on smoking then I would stop. It is the same principle as ‘Want power’.
Good luck and good wanting.
Suan
posted July 13, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Suan congates on the want power to quit smoking.
Now to retrain my want power and remember to think before I act.
Debi
posted July 13, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Definately. When I quit smoking nearly 30 years ago, I had to get to the point that I “wanted to be a non-smoker”. I have also been going to Weight Watchers since 1985, and have no cake in this house as we speak. It is learned “behavior modificaion” that we have no cake in the house because we want to lose/maintain our weight. I love this article…
posted July 13, 2008 at 2:47 pm
THANK GOD! I HAVE USED WANT POWER AND DID,NT KNOW WHAT IT WAS.I WANTED TO QUIT SMOKING AND IT,S BEEN 4 1/2 YRS. I GOT IT! GOOD WANTING EVERY ONE.
posted July 14, 2008 at 2:26 am
WOW! This article definitely was an “aha” moment for me. As a life long “pleaser” (aka co-dependent), it has always been easier for me to abdicate my wants in place of strong willed others. I have learned over a lifetime that it seemed easier to simply go with the flow and let others choose what they want in place of having potential conflict by asking for what I want.
Will this work for me? I don’t yet know but I am willing to try. The lifetime of letting everyone else have what they WANT has resulted in enough internal grief that I am now ready to deserve to receive what I want and need.
Anyone else in this boat?
posted July 14, 2008 at 10:06 am
the power of “what do i want” is very important in all aspects of life. It is a great tool not only for weight loss but for many other important decisions we make in our lifes. The key is not to give in into the power of “what do I want RIGHT NOW” but treat “what kind of outcome do I want” thanks, great tips
posted July 14, 2008 at 6:14 pm
I do not belive in will power,because we our all born with free will, the right to choose wrong or right. Some people may think they beat something, but the Lord is sitting in the ring. I do not belive even if you disagree you must always remember God is love, and may not belive it you just don’t know Him and how He works. But many think their doing it alone, think first…..
posted July 18, 2008 at 1:22 pm
You are wrong to say that there is nothing called will-power but want power. I will tell you the difference btwn. will-power and want- power. Will power helps you to do what want power has wanted you to get. There is no want power without the will power to accomplish your want. For example, I may use my want-power to want to stop smoking. The want-power cannot make me stop smoking, but if I have the will- power in me I can stop smoking. As humans we may wamt any thing we desire, but without the will power, or the “gut” as we call it. We will accomplish nothing. Your want-power, desire-power, whatever power you possess, without the will to accomplish it. Without the will to accoimplish your want, or desire, you will end up empty.
posted July 25, 2008 at 11:10 am
Interesting – this is something so simple but I never thought about “want Power” as opposed to will power. I think they go hand in hand. Want power kind of puts it a little more into perepctive though. When I do want that piece of cake I guess I need to think what do I want more, that 2 minute taste good or the long haul of a healthier lifestyle? So then my will power kicks in and makes it easier because I have really thought about what is more important to me. Thanks for the advice and thoughts.