HOW TO HAVE MORE WILLPOWER

Dear friend,

So many of us have great ideas, dreams, and ambitions, yet we lack willpower. How do we gain more will power, and avoid things or people that suck out our will power?

I. Work on something greater than you.

For me, the only reason I have willpower to blog, is because I want to help you. I want to help empower you, and I feel this is the purpose of my life. If I didn’t have the power to share this information with you, I wouldn’t do it.

I feel happiness in life is living a purposeful life, in which we are ultimately seeking to help or empower others.

For example, Elon Musk hustles hard because he wants to prevent humanity from extinction. Kanye West hustles because he wants to break the walls of racism and classism. Steve Jobs hustled to empower humanity through beautiful technology.

What is your passion in life which is directed to helping and empower others? Write that down.

II. Imagine you’re going to die in your sleep tonight

If I could have anything tattooed on me it would be “memento mori”– remember you must die, and you will die.

To be honest, it is my realization of death is what drives me, and gives me my will power. I have an exercise, I imagine that I’m going to die in my sleep tonight, because I drank too much coffee, and have a heart attack.

Then everyday, I don’t waste time. Because we don’t have life, we just have time (Seneca).

If you were going to die tonight, what would you do and not do today? Would you really go out with beers with your buddies, or would you rather stay at home and write and publish your memoir to your blog? Would you organize your photographs, and create a portfolio of your best images?

Whenever I write blog posts, I write them like it is the last thing imma write. Therefore, I try to focus on things which I feel is truly meaningful to me.

So friend, if you were gonna die tonight, what would you do and not do?

Memento mori.

For inspiration, I recommend reading The Shortness of Life by Seneca.

III. Don’t be a perfectionist.

Perfectionism is the enemy of art. The more of a perfectionist is, the less shit you’re gonna get done. And the more of a perfectionist you are, the more fear you’re going to have. Fear of creation, and fear of sharing your creation.

My suggestion is to create your art 80% good enough, and then hit publish.

We often lose willpower because we fall victim to “paralysis by analysis”. We focus on so many options, we don’t do nothing.

And when in doubt, just do it. Be a person of action, not words.

Another tip: never tell people about your ideas, or else you are less likely to do it. Just do it, or don’t do it.

And when in doubt, drink more coffee.

Be strong,
Eric