The willpower instinct
by Kelly McGonigal · first published 2011
64% recommend36% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Readable, research-based tour of how self-control works and why we lose it, with practical advice on sleep, exercise, meditation and procrastination. Suits knowledge workers and anyone frustrated by willpower.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
The first book to explain the new science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity. After years of watching her students struggling with their choices, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., realized that much of what people believe about willpower is actually sabotaging their success. Committed to sharing what the scientific community already knew about self-control, McGonigal created a course called "The Science of Willpower" for Stanford University's Continuing Studies Program. The course was an instant hit and spawned the hugely
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…- Grit - I can see why it's caught on, it's pretty well-written and informative, but it's not one of the stronger books in the genre and I don't think it will stand the test of time. I recommend The Willpower Instinct - by Kelly McGonigal and Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise - by Anders Ericsson in its place. - The Rent Is Too Damn High - Matt Yglesias is an intellectually dishonest pundit and I recommend…
on “YC's Winter Reading List” ↗Understanding ego depletion and willpower are incredibly important skills for any knowledge worker. A book like http://www.amazon.com/The-Willpower-Instinct-Self-Control-Ma... will help a programmer perform better work than a book on compilers.
on “Understanding Ego Depletion” ↗I would suggest the book "The Willpower Instinct" by Kelly Mcgonigal: http://www.amzn.com/dp/1583334386. You can also look a great talk she did at Google: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5BXuZL1HAg In brief: sleep, exercice, healthy food and meditation…
on “Ask HN: Why can't I get started?” ↗I'm going to share the bit of information that finally convinced me to start meditating regularly. I learned it from reading The Willpower Instinct (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10865206-the-willpower-in...). Meditation produces all of these wonderful side effects, but it's hard, what if I never get good at it? Well, it turns out that trying…
on “The Mindful Programmer - mindfully get more stuff done.” ↗…anybody I know. That certainly wasn't my problem. The good news is that people actually study this for a living. If you want a readable introduction to the limits and uses of willpower, McGonigal's The Willpower Instinct is a fine place to start understanding why, "Oh, those people are just weak," is a lazy and wrong answer.
on “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food” ↗…your car and burn your public transport subscription, so that you have to go by bicycle). Beating oneself up about lack of willpower is really sad (I do it myself, but it's wrong). I recommend "The Willpower Instinct" by Kelly McGonigal. There are also YouTube videos of her speaking.
on “Suicidal Software Developer” ↗Amen. Also loved the book 'The Willpower Instinct' [1] in that respect. No magic solutions; just a collection of insights into the multitude of relevant dynamics at play here. [1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10865206-the-willpower-i...
on “Screw motivation, what you need is discipline” ↗This year I want to get my first SaaS app out the door. Just started working on making a tool with my friend for documenting and testing apis. Tangentially related, I've been reading a book called The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal that has a lot of good ideas that apply to making changes in behavior if you have trouble (as I often do) getting things done.
on “Ask HN: New Year's resolution – What projects are you planning to start in 2016?” ↗I just started reading this and I think it's pretty good: https://www.amazon.com/Willpower-Instinct-Self-Control-Works...
on “Extreme Methods for Breaking Bad Habits” ↗…of waking up varies and depends on the morning temperature and amount of light. In summer we woke at 5-6am (it was warm and light), now it's ~7am (it's getting colder and darker outside). The book The Willpower instinct [2] influenced me a lot regarding willpower in the morning. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJDz7qHBGQg [2] https://www.amazon.com/Willpower-Instinct-Self-Control-Works...
on “Ask HN: What is your morning routine?” ↗…and deterministic mindset that is a detriment to your success? - http://blakemasters.com/post/23435743973/peter-thiels-cs183-... 4. Learn how self-control and willpower works and overcome it: - The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It - McGonigal 5. Strengthening your mind: - The Rock Warrior's Way: Mental Training For Climbers - A Fighter's Heart: One…
on “How to become a Good Theoretical Physicist” ↗…general sense of the term) advances, and as we learn more about humans and how they work, these mechanisms for control have become more insidious. My recent favorite example, which I read about in The Willpower Instinct, is companies like ScentAir [0] that create "engineered" smells intended to subconsciously entice people into going into stores or buying products. [0] http://www.scentair.com
on “Tech needs to decide which master it's going to serve” ↗…have found when I had issues with my studies. It helps to understand what lies behind procrastination and how to handle it. Despite non scientific title it is NOT one more time management training. The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10865206-the-willpower-in...
on “To Stop Procrastinating, Start by Understanding the Emotions Involved” ↗My top 4 recommendations (full list and notes at http://www.dotnetsurfers.com/books/) The Power of Habit, Search Inside Yourself, The Willpower Instinct, Zero to One
on “Ask HN: Book Recommendations?” ↗…this week like you said you would?" can be a great motivator. Those are all short-term tips. If you want information on how to increase your willpower overall, I recommend reading Kelly McGonigal's The Willpower Instinct, a very action-oriented scientific look at willpower.
on “The Most Popular Online Course Teaches You to Learn (2015)” ↗