#324 Mastering Willpower: How Self-Control Works, Why it Matters, & What You Can Do to Get More with Kelly McGonigal

In this episode, we are joined by Kelly McGonigal, a renowned health psychologist and Stanford University lecturer, as we delve into the fascinating world of willpower. In our conversation, we explore the intricacies of willpower, its role in our lives, and how we can harness it to achieve our goals. Kelly shares her unique perspective on the conflicting impulses within us all and provides actionable advice on how to navigate these internal battles. In this episode, you'll discover: How to identify and leverage your willpower strengths. The three forces of willpower: "I will," "I won't," and "I want." The importance of not depriving yourself of your favorite foods when dieting. How to train your willpower and make choices that align with your goals. The role of mindfulness in enhancing willpower. Watch Kelly’s TED Talk - How to Make Stress Your Friend Learn more about Kelly, her books, and book her for a speaking engagement Sign up for Erik’s weekly newsletter - Adaptation Join the AIM7 Beta Community Quotable moments: "Willpower is the ability to make choices that are consistent with your goals, your values, and the vision that you have for your life, even when it's hard, even when you're tired, even when some part of you doesn't want to." - Kelly McGonigal "All humans want immediate gratification, and also we have the ability to delay gratification and invest in the future." - Kelly McGonigal "We are a set of conflicting impulses. So willpower is just about the ability to be like, all right, I'm both of those things, they're both me. So how do I help the self, who is going to invest in the future and, and create the change that I want?" - Kelly McGonigal "If you actually want the kind of transformation that allows you to do things with less effort, more ease, more enjoyment, like it's a real part of you. That's why willpower matters." - Kelly McGonigal ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT PODCAST: The BluePrint Podcast is for busy professionals and Household CEOs who care deeply about their families, career, and health. Host Dr. Erik Korem distills cutting edge-science, leadership, and life skills into simple tactics optimized for your busy lifestyle and goals.   Dr. Korem interviews scientists, coaches, elite athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and exceptional people to discuss science and practical skills you can implement to become the most healthy, resilient, and impactful version of yourself. On a mission to equip people to pursue audacious goals, thrive in uncertainty, and live a healthy and fulfilled life, Dr. Erik Korem is a High-Performance pioneer. He introduced sports science and athlete-tracking technologies to collegiate and professional (NFL) football over a decade ago. He has worked with the National Football League, Power-5 NCAA programs, gold-medal Olympians, Nike, and the United States Department of Defense. Erik is an expert in sleep and stress resilience. He is the Founder and CEO of AIM7, a health and fitness app that unlocks the power of wearables by providing you with daily personalized recommendations to enhance your mind, body, and recovery. SUPPORT & CONNECT Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikkorem/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/ErikKorem LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-korem-phd-19991734/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erikkorem Website - https://www.erikkorem.com/ Newsletter - http://link.aim7.com/adaptation-newsletter  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The BluePrint Podcast is for go-getters and high achievers who crave practical strategies to elevate their health, well-being, and performance. Host Dr. Erik Korem delivers bite-sized, science-backed tactics to optimize your busy life and help you excel in all areas. Whether climbing the corporate ladder or managing a hectic household, this show equips you with the tools to thrive. Oh, and we also talk about pickleball! Dr. Korem interviews scientists, coaches, elite athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and exceptional people to discuss actionable science and practical skills you can implement to become the most healthy, resilient, and impactful version of yourself.   Dr. Erik Korem is a high-performance pioneer on a mission to equip people to pursue audacious goals, thrive in uncertainty, and live a healthy and fulfilled life. Over a decade ago, he introduced sports science and athlete tracking technologies to collegiate and professional (NFL) football and has worked with the National Football League, Power-5 NCAA programs, gold-medal Olympians, Nike, and the United States Department of Defense.   Erik is an expert in sleep and stress resilience. He is also the Founder and CEO of AIM7, the first pickleball health and performance app designed to prevent pain and injury and elevate performance. SUPPORT & CONNECT   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikkorem/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/ErikKorem LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-korem-phd-19991734/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erikkorem Website - https://www.erikkorem.com/ Newsletter - https://erikkoremhpcoach.activehosted.com/f/ QUOTES   “The key is using stress and adapting to it and improving. That’s what high performance is to me, the ability to adapt rapidly so you can achieve your potential. There are five key pillars to creating the conditions for adaptability: sleep, exercise, mental resilience, nutrition, and community/relationships.” - Dr. Erik Korem   “I maybe have a different concept on leadership. To me, leading is a verb. If you’re leading, you’re a leader. If you’re swimming you’re a swimmer, if you’re driving you’re a driver. If you’re leading you’re by definition a leader. I define leading as being looked to in a particular moment to make a decision or perform an action based on your unique gifts and abilities. So by that definition, everybody is a leader. All rank and role really describe is how many people are hoping you get it right when it’s your turn to wear the weight.” - Clint Bruce "Attention is the currency of performance." - Dr. Peter Haberl “That’s what I’ve discovered in the lives of brilliant, prolific, healthy creatives, is that they have networks of people they leverage in the course of their work. That they learn from, that they were challenged by, that they gave great insight and purview into their own life and work, in such a way that they were able to receive feedback that helped them get better at what they do.” - Todd Henry "Restful and fulfilling sleep enables you to grow, adapt, and thrive. It creates the conditions for adaptation, so you can pursue audacious goals and thrive in uncertainty." - Dr. Erik Korem "Most exercise programs fail, not because the reps and sets are poorly designed, but because the program doesn't adjust for how much stress your body can adapt to that day!. That's why Dr. Chris Morris' research and practical application of fluid periodization is the key for unlocking your performance potential." - Dr. Erik Korem