Strong willpower is an essential basis for attaining success in any field of life, from sports to competitive examinations, agricultural cultivation, mountaineering, or to sail through difficult phases of life. Strong willpower plays a vital role in every turn of life. Even after failing several times, the decision to stand up and try again is possible only if there is strong willpower. In fact, the successes we attain in life are directly proportional to how much willpower we possess. In the domain of spirituality, its importance grows manifold. Self correction and personality refinement are possible only by willpower.
All the merit, capability, and talent that we may possess gets wasted in the absence of willpower. The roots of failure and losses in life normally lie in the frailty of willpower. Despite knowing what is right in life and what is wrong, our helpless choice of the wrong path is a clear indication of the inadequacy of willpower. Every moment of moral weakness and every loss and failure are primarily attributable to this insufficient willpower. If the right way to attain excellence in life is clearly laid out in our mind, and yet we do not progress along with it, it is only due to a lack of willpower.
Every human being is inherently granted it, but usually in a very restrained form, and hence it needs to be awakened. The development of willpower is nothing but the process of awakening a force that lies dormant within us and deploying it in the right direction. Willpower is the creative and executive power of our mind that helps us take the tasks we undertake to their logical conclusion. It gives us the strength to walk on the right path and keep away from what is wrong. By paying attention to some facets, we can strengthen our willpower. This clear understanding that we can gradually increase our willpower with sustained effort is of great importance. The problem is that we do not put sufficient effort into this. We do not even think this is possible and helplessly keep agonizing over our weakness. This weakness is primarily due to the dichotomy between our thoughts and emotions. We associate our goals only with our intellect, not with our hearts, so we begin to lose our morale whenever any difficulties or obstacles arise. In contrast, the desire to achieve the goal that comes from the heart provides us sufficient energy to overcome all challenges and takes us all the way to complete it. Along with intellectual understanding, a sincere love towards our ideals, goal, or chosen deity is an invaluable asset that makes our willpower strong.
Guilt over past mistakes and anxiety over the future are two main reasons that weaken our willpower. Carrying guilt and fretting over past mistakes blunts our will, and worrying about the future makes us lose interest in taking action. Instead of getting entangled in the past and the future, living in the present gives a new meaning to our lives. And to live in the present, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of human values. When this understanding is lacking, people become toys in the hands of fickle desires and weaken their mental strength and willpower.
So, it is crucial to think about what is right and what is wrong. In the absence of discretion, a person does not even realize when he falls prey to worldly desires and passions. This path eventually leads to only pain and misery. Peace of mind and happiness in life are determined by instilling good qualities and value systems and not accumulating money or objects that appeal to the senses. Adoption of discretion strengthens willpower.
We must keep ourselves busy with work as much as possible. An empty mind is a devil’s workshop that instigates people to indulge in worthless activities, leading to guilt. Adopt good habits while working so that the mind can be involved in creative activities in times of leisure. This gives the satisfaction of creating something new and enhances will power. Avoid gossips, thinking, and fantasizing meaninglessly, useless activities, and wrongful addictions. Saving our energies from these, we must deploy them in carrying out positive and creative tasks, self-study, and listening to spiritual discourses. Right utilization of our capabilities helps in increasing our willpower.
Failure in any task should be taken sportingly. Do not get disheartened, learn from the mistakes, and restart work with double zeal and vigor. Every success will increase willpower further, and life will progress towards new vistas of achievements.
Living a disciplined life is a must, not due to external pressures, but out of our own will and discretion. While preparing for examinations, children who live a chaotic life do not follow a timetable, finally get stressed out, enter depression, and earn failure. Whereas children who control their temptations, stay away from time-wasting devices like smartphones, utilize every moment of their time, and prepare for their examinations with disciplined zeal, end up facing them with confidence and eventually earn success.
All the examinations of life also demand similar discipline. A tight daily routine that is suited to the goal in mind, the discipline of mind-body, thoughts, and behavior make a person strong both externally and internally. Then this enhanced willpower takes a person to the pinnacle of holistic excellence.