According to Scientific American, "The scientific community is increasingly coming to realize how central self-control is to many important life outcomes. We have always known about the impact of socioeconomic status and IQ, but these are factors that are highly resistant to interventions. In contrast, self-control may be something that we can tap into to make sweeping improvements life outcomes." The article goes on to identity that there are a couple good ways to increase your chance of success when feeling tempted. These include of these include:
- Physically stop yourself - If you know you will be tempted, create a habit that stops you from acting on that temptation. Learn to walk away, sit on your hands, or in the case of Ulysses and the sirens.... lash yourself to the mast of the ship! Find a way to prevent yourself from being able to give in. You might even need to throw those leftover donuts in a sink full of water... if you truly want to be successful, look for ways to stop yourself from acting on temptation.
- Distract Yourself - The more you focus on a temptation the harder it is to resist. Create the habit of distracting yourself when you feel tempered. Take a walk, call a friend, sign a song, read a book, paint your nails, etc. Once you create this habit, you find that you can and do resist temptation... out of habit.
Looking for a tool to help create positive habits? Check out mobile app Habit Maker, Habit Breaker! It is a FREE app listed in the iTunes app store.
