83 books
—
247 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It” as Want to Read:
The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It
by
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 ...more
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 ...more
Get A Copy
Hardcover, 275 pages
Published
December 29th 2011
by Avery
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
The Willpower Instinct,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It

How willpower exactly works is still mystical, however, we know what increases our willpower and what can deplete it. There is a lot of talking about the willpower, however, there was no a book that would cover all the practical things that can improve it. In fact, this is a book about productivity, from the perspective of willpower. So, if you struggle with getting things done, this one might be a good fit for you.
Top 3 strategies from this book that I applied to my life:
* Identify and describe ...more
Top 3 strategies from this book that I applied to my life:
* Identify and describe ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

I thought this was going to be another "do-what-I-did" type self-help books. Boy, was I wrong. I am so glad I read this book.
The Willpower Instinct is based off of a 10-week academic-style class taught by the author. It uses the latest information from neuroscience to explain what exactly your brain goes through during a thinking or decision-making process and how to use that process to your advantage to increase your sense of self-control. That may sound boring or technical, but McGonigal has a ...more
The Willpower Instinct is based off of a 10-week academic-style class taught by the author. It uses the latest information from neuroscience to explain what exactly your brain goes through during a thinking or decision-making process and how to use that process to your advantage to increase your sense of self-control. That may sound boring or technical, but McGonigal has a ...more

This is basically a book for people in the thrall of a compulsion, habit or addiction they wish to change..... Me? I'm on a diet. And in fact much of the book was geared towards people dieting. It's range however covered a wide range of compulsions, and it could be utilized by anyone who wants to give up or change a behaviour.
My enjoyment of the book was greatly enhanced by my sister reading it with me. We followed the author's suggestion to read only one chapter a week, the better to mull over ...more
My enjoyment of the book was greatly enhanced by my sister reading it with me. We followed the author's suggestion to read only one chapter a week, the better to mull over ...more

A fabulous book about willpower that surprised me with its insight and clean prose. Popular psychology books often get a bad rep for either oversimplifying science or complicating it to the point if incomprehension. Kelly McGonigal, however, provides concise, research-supported strategies supported on how to achieve goals - ranging from eating healthier to smoking less to staying faithful to your spouse. She gives a quality mixture of anecdotes, analysis, and applications to ensure that readers
...more

I'm now reading this for the second time. It has a lot more science, and a lot less self-help nonsense, than you might expect. And yes, it is OK to admit to reading it -- nobody's perfect when it comes to willpower!
Here's a sampling of what I learned from Dr. McGonigal's book.
1. Willpower is centered in a specific region of the brain (within the prefrontal cortex). It uses more energy than almost any other brain region, and therefore it gets tired after prolonged use each day. It's also like a ...more
Here's a sampling of what I learned from Dr. McGonigal's book.
1. Willpower is centered in a specific region of the brain (within the prefrontal cortex). It uses more energy than almost any other brain region, and therefore it gets tired after prolonged use each day. It's also like a ...more

This book is immensely valuable, and very much needed by most people. It isn't even that the book itself is so fantastic, though it is definitely a good book, clearly written, good ideas, well executed. The topic matter is so absolutely pertinent that a thorough and adequate treatment of the subject automatically becomes enormously helpful.
It's somewhere in between a readable review of the science, and a well structured self help book. In terms of the order of the chapters, there are a few fairl ...more
It's somewhere in between a readable review of the science, and a well structured self help book. In terms of the order of the chapters, there are a few fairl ...more

McGonigal brings together the newest insights about self-control from psychology, economics, neuroscience and medicine to build willpower. She is a health psychologist at Stanford School of Medicine where she teaches a course called "The Science of Willpower" that quickly became the most popular classes ever offered by Stanford. Course evaluations call the course "life-changing".
The book's 10 chapters reflect her 10-week course, written in an interesting and easy style, without any "academic pom ...more
The book's 10 chapters reflect her 10-week course, written in an interesting and easy style, without any "academic pom ...more

I thought I had promised myself: No more self-help books about procrastination. Unfortunately, when it comes to books, I have no willpower! haha! Fortunately, this book is totally different from all those other worthless books I've read. There are lots of interesting scientific experiments, mostly on humans (except the one rat study was terrible and I really wish it wasn't stuck in my brain :( ). The book starts out with very basic advice, eat better, get better sleep, get some exercise and star
...more

Expectations: an informative and reliable, yet readable non-fiction book about willpower by a Stanford professor.
Reality: lame jokes, some questionable science, and a bunch of pretty dumb-sounding statements I would be comfortable hearing from my grandma in the kitchen, but not from a Stanford professor in a non-fiction book. What Kelly McGonigal did here to me felt so unscientific as to be borderline anti-scientific.
THE BAD
Me, reading The Willpower Instinct:
Oh, boy, The Willpower Instinct was ...more
Reality: lame jokes, some questionable science, and a bunch of pretty dumb-sounding statements I would be comfortable hearing from my grandma in the kitchen, but not from a Stanford professor in a non-fiction book. What Kelly McGonigal did here to me felt so unscientific as to be borderline anti-scientific.
THE BAD
Me, reading The Willpower Instinct:

Oh, boy, The Willpower Instinct was ...more

Excellent book. Filled with tons of knowledge.
*Still need to edit these notes but here's the raw version:
NOTES*
INTRODUCTION
This book is based on a Stanford class
People cite lack of Willpower (WP) as one of the number one things holding them back
The best way to improve self control (SC) is to see/understand why you lose control
Being overly optimistic is bad because you cannot objectively judge your own flaws and predict times of difficulty
True/Honest self knowledge is the foundation of good self ...more
*Still need to edit these notes but here's the raw version:
NOTES*
INTRODUCTION
This book is based on a Stanford class
People cite lack of Willpower (WP) as one of the number one things holding them back
The best way to improve self control (SC) is to see/understand why you lose control
Being overly optimistic is bad because you cannot objectively judge your own flaws and predict times of difficulty
True/Honest self knowledge is the foundation of good self ...more

Very insightful and interesting content. Decided to listen to the audio book which normally I don't find very easy to focus on but with this one I didn't have any problems. Although I was already familiar with some of the concepts mentioned here still learned a lot especially on understanding how one can strengthen will power. Definitely check out this book if you're interested to find out why our mind craves so many things that are unhealthy in the long run.
...more

Thank you for taking the time to read my review
I believe we all have willpower, some of us rely on it and make it stronger some of us don't know how! Its crazy to think of it as a muscle! But thats what it really is! This book looks at willpower from a scientific point of view and how it evolved with our brains. It shows you ways of strengthening your willpower. It also shows you how your brain plays tricks on you to make you do things you don't necessarily want to do. If you cannot complete a d ...more
I believe we all have willpower, some of us rely on it and make it stronger some of us don't know how! Its crazy to think of it as a muscle! But thats what it really is! This book looks at willpower from a scientific point of view and how it evolved with our brains. It shows you ways of strengthening your willpower. It also shows you how your brain plays tricks on you to make you do things you don't necessarily want to do. If you cannot complete a d ...more

MEH.................................. ehhhhhh
1.5
I know I have willpower . I completed this book ..
REPETITIVE!
Endless annoying footnotes ... I feel it might be good middle age child .. But it did not contain any useful tips or information .
McGonigal repeats her accomplishments so many times ! Which had no relevance to this book !
I laughed to myself several times .. ...
1.5
I know I have willpower . I completed this book ..
REPETITIVE!
Endless annoying footnotes ... I feel it might be good middle age child .. But it did not contain any useful tips or information .
McGonigal repeats her accomplishments so many times ! Which had no relevance to this book !
I laughed to myself several times .. ...

**Putting down the book presented a willpower challenge**
Speaking of willpower, once I started reading this book, it took every ounce of my willpower to put it down! (And, so yeah, I may have been spotted reading this book in my car while while sitting at red lights. My apologies to the drivers behind me for any [slight] delays my willpower challenges may have caused.)
As the above evidence suggests, I can't rave enough about this book. It's a gem, it's a god-sent, and it's just that good. You'l ...more
Speaking of willpower, once I started reading this book, it took every ounce of my willpower to put it down! (And, so yeah, I may have been spotted reading this book in my car while while sitting at red lights. My apologies to the drivers behind me for any [slight] delays my willpower challenges may have caused.)
As the above evidence suggests, I can't rave enough about this book. It's a gem, it's a god-sent, and it's just that good. You'l ...more

Great book! Lots of way that will (and already started to) help me do things I want, but avoid. I read it back to back after The Power of Habit, and it reinforced and backed up most of the important lessons.
Takeaways:
* Willpower is a limited, muscle-like resource (I postponed all tough things except one)
* Train with small tasks (I'm flossing teeth and keeping a daily diary)
* Meditate and exercise to boost willpower (requires some willpower capital first)
* Willpower works better with little v ...more
Takeaways:
* Willpower is a limited, muscle-like resource (I postponed all tough things except one)
* Train with small tasks (I'm flossing teeth and keeping a daily diary)
* Meditate and exercise to boost willpower (requires some willpower capital first)
* Willpower works better with little v ...more

Ok...please ignore the most embarrassing cover of this edition. Not at all as cheesy as it sounds. McGonigal is funny, but packs some serious insights. If you're a long time WP challenged (but hate to admit you need help), get a copy. Don't tell anybody, but do experiment as the book says! Who knows - you may really help yourself!
...more

Meh. I enjoyed the science most but the majority of this information seemed intuitive to me. Still, I can see how this could be helpful to those whom need a boost in the willpower department. I was looking for a little more as I begin an exercise program as a New Year's resolution. Fortunately (and a little surprisingly), my willpower and desire to succeed has thus far been strong.
...more

Lately, it has become very fashionable (particularly for neuro-sceensters) to bash the the outdated notion of free will. And for good reason. That shit is a fairy tale. It just plain doesn't exist. At least the hokey ol' folk psychology notion of "uncaused" behavior a.k.a. contra-causal free will. a.k.a. classical dualistic free will i.e. the belief that there is a component (call it a soul or what ever) to human behavior that is something more than the unavoidable consequences of the genetic an
...more

Take my rating with a grain of salt: I’ve read this book, but haven’t really taken the time to put its advice into practice yet.
This book is a useful combination of popular science/psychology and self-help, looking at why our brains work the way they do and how to get better at putting big-picture goals ahead of short-term urges. There’s a fair amount of science and studies in it, explained in an accessible way, along with practical tips and strategies for everyday life.
There’s a lot of useful i ...more
This book is a useful combination of popular science/psychology and self-help, looking at why our brains work the way they do and how to get better at putting big-picture goals ahead of short-term urges. There’s a fair amount of science and studies in it, explained in an accessible way, along with practical tips and strategies for everyday life.
There’s a lot of useful i ...more

Excellent book, that many before me have already reviewed wonderfully. I recommend this review for a succinct summary of the book.
Keep in mind I found the first 25% of the book was waffly generic lead-up that I really didn't need. I was about to give up when suddenly all the useful good stuff began.
Please note it did not take me 5 weeks to read because it was a boring book, rather that the author suggests you read a section and put it into practice for a week before you read the next section. I ...more
Keep in mind I found the first 25% of the book was waffly generic lead-up that I really didn't need. I was about to give up when suddenly all the useful good stuff began.
Please note it did not take me 5 weeks to read because it was a boring book, rather that the author suggests you read a section and put it into practice for a week before you read the next section. I ...more

This book helped me understand better the science of why sometimes it comes easy to do certain actions while other times it doesn't (like spending less time on social media or doing more sports, for example).
It tackles subjects like:
- why doing meditation or taking deep breaths helps you calm down and crave less;
- what's the role of sports in making better decisions;
- how breaking habits in smaller pieces makes you more aware of what you're doing and ultimately helps you change them;
-what's ...more
It tackles subjects like:
- why doing meditation or taking deep breaths helps you calm down and crave less;
- what's the role of sports in making better decisions;
- how breaking habits in smaller pieces makes you more aware of what you're doing and ultimately helps you change them;
-what's ...more

Ok, I admit it. I am not going to be able to do this book justice: I read it in one of those ghastly self-destructive reading binges that find me struggling to keep my eyelids open at midnight, knowing that I'm going to be fucked for the morning, but driven on to turn the pages (even as I take Big Blinks) and extract every last nugget from the book. You probably won't experience this book in quite the same way, so I won't pretend that my experience is predictive of yours. (Unless you are a narco
...more

I think it's indisputable that the ultimate measure of the worth of a self-help book is... whether it helped. This book did not help me. If I'd hoped to acquire a great deal of rudimentary knowledge of psychology, neurophysiology, cognitive science, and the mechanics of meditation that I didn't already have -- then this book would have been an epic fail, because I already knew all of that, and knowing it had never in any imaginable way helped me before. If I'd been woefully and spectacularly ign
...more

Was it easy to read: Averagely so. It is a serious book, but written well and doesn’t burden the reader.
What I liked about it: It seemed scientific enough to feel credible. I liked how each chapter was structured – some scientific facts, stories to illustrate them, questions to help notice similar things in your own life. The last words and summary at the end of each chapter was a great idea – I listened to the audiobook, so couldn’t make highlights. But then got back to the last part of each ch ...more
What I liked about it: It seemed scientific enough to feel credible. I liked how each chapter was structured – some scientific facts, stories to illustrate them, questions to help notice similar things in your own life. The last words and summary at the end of each chapter was a great idea – I listened to the audiobook, so couldn’t make highlights. But then got back to the last part of each ch ...more

Good little book with recent research on willpower. Not a lot of surprises, but nice to peruse when thinking about changing some habits.
p. 50 Relaxing—-even for just a few minutes--increases heart rate variability by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and quieting the sympathetic nervous system. It also shifts the body into a state of repair and healing, enhancing your immune function and lowering stress hormones. Studies show that taking time for relaxation every day can protect your ...more
p. 50 Relaxing—-even for just a few minutes--increases heart rate variability by activating the parasympathetic nervous system and quieting the sympathetic nervous system. It also shifts the body into a state of repair and healing, enhancing your immune function and lowering stress hormones. Studies show that taking time for relaxation every day can protect your ...more

TERRIFIC ADVICE. I am a serial resolution maker and breaker so this book really spoke to me in a lasting way. Throughout this book I had a recurring thought that the author has been listening to my thoughts for the past 20 years because the scenarios were so eerily spot-on.
I have been employing the mechanisms taught by the author and I've never felt more in-control and calm about my decision making. I learned things like how I lie to myself and why those lies are so darn convincing. Most importa ...more
I have been employing the mechanisms taught by the author and I've never felt more in-control and calm about my decision making. I learned things like how I lie to myself and why those lies are so darn convincing. Most importa ...more

Jun 11, 2017
Eugene
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Eugene by:
Denis Vasilev
Shelves:
2017-to-read,
best-of-golden-greatest-hits
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

2.5
I cautiously recommend this book on the basis of its evidence-based advice for everyday failures of willpower, but it's hurt by an ingratiating, chummy prose style that I found condescending. I appreciate McGonigal's attempt to write a fun and approachable book, especially given the serious willpower challenges that some of her readers might have. But her breeziness evinces a lack of faith in the material, which is inherently interesting. Every page seems to feature a parenthetical nudge in t ...more
I cautiously recommend this book on the basis of its evidence-based advice for everyday failures of willpower, but it's hurt by an ingratiating, chummy prose style that I found condescending. I appreciate McGonigal's attempt to write a fun and approachable book, especially given the serious willpower challenges that some of her readers might have. But her breeziness evinces a lack of faith in the material, which is inherently interesting. Every page seems to feature a parenthetical nudge in t ...more

This was among the better books in the general genre. He offers some "willpower hacks" if you will. The book explains how your willpower works and when it is likely to not work and offers help in avoiding some willpower traps.
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goodreads Librari...: Please add cover for The Willpower Instinct audiobook | 6 | 21 | Nov 13, 2017 11:23PM | |
The massive insights within this book | 2 | 51 | Jan 28, 2016 02:58PM | |
So where are you now? | 8 | 87 | Aug 26, 2014 12:39PM |
Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, an award-winning science journalist, and a leading expert on the mind-body relationship. Her teaching and writing focus on the applications of psychological science to personal health and happiness, as well as public policy and social change.
She is the author of The Upside of Stress (Penguin Random House/Avery 201 ...more
She is the author of The Upside of Stress (Penguin Random House/Avery 201 ...more
Related Articles
Luvvie Ajayi Jones—author, cultural critic, digital entrepreneur—might be best described as a professional truthteller. Her crazily popular...
49 likes · 0 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“The biggest enemies of willpower: temptation, self-criticism, and stress. (...) these three skills —self-awareness, self-care, and remembering what matter most— are the foundation for self-control.”
—
82 likes
“Meditation is not about getting rid of all your thoughts; it’s learning not to get so lost in them that you forget what your goal is. Don’t worry if your focus isn’t perfect when meditating. Just practice coming back to the breath, again and again.”
—
37 likes
More quotes…