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

by Kelly McGonigal

To say no when you need to say no, and yes when you need to say yes, you need a third power: the ability to remember what you really want.

Remember! One of the most important words in the English language.

One study found that just three hours of meditation practice led to improved attention and self-control. After eleven hours, researchers could see those changes in the brain. The new meditators had increased neural connections between regions of the brain important for staying focused, ignoring distractions, and controlling impulses. Another study found that eight weeks of daily meditation practice led to increased self-awareness in everyday life, as well as increased gray matter in corresponding areas of the brain.

Exercise turns out to be the closest thing to a wonder drug that self-control scientists have discovered.

Researchers have found that self-control is highest in the morning and steadily deteriorates over the course of the day.