Exceptional willpower isn’t a quality you are born with, like double-jointed thumbs. Sure, some people may be more self-disciplined than you. But it’s unlikely they were born with some certain special something inside them—instead, they’ve found ways to make decisions that don’t require willpower and determination. They seem to have exceptional willpower, but not because they actually have more. Instead, they’ve learned how to best use what they have. And as a result, they have what Angela Duckworth calls grit. (Her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance is outstanding.) Duckworth
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