We hear of people „having“ will power. It should rather be said that they „use“ their will power while with many others it is a latent force. What we speak of as will power is but the gathering together of mental energy, the concentration of power at one point. The man who has note learned to use his will rarely decides things for himself; he allows his resolutions to be changed by others.

How may we develop our will?

Here are some ideas:

  • Make decisions fast. Not on major things but on matters of small importance. For example, when the timer goes off in the morning, just decide to jump out of bed. No discussions. Just decide to get up. This is how you develop will power! When you think about preparing a meal, don’t spend half an hour deciding on what to eat. Count to five and decide. Will enables us to decide for one thing or the other. The word decision comes from the Latin and literally means „settling a dispute.“ A part of us (the lower self) wants us to advance whereas another part of us (the higher self) wants us to stay where we are. And the will decides the issue. You have to make a decision about what you want to do and be and have in life. You have to make a decision. People who lack willpower simply don’t like making decisions. People who execute will power love making decisions. And they make them fast! So, for the next seven days, make decisions concerning the little affairs of your life fast. This is how you train your will power. You train it by using it. If you choose to participate, for the next seven days you are not allowed to procrastinate and you are not allowed to let other people make decisions for you. For example, if you should decide to go for a movie next week, YOU decide on the movie, okay?
  • Here is something else you can do to train your will power: When a desire wells up within you, decide whether it’s one that serves your evolution or one that hinders your evolution. If it serves your evolution, use all the will power within you to enable the gratification the desire. If it hinders your evolution, use all the will power within you to transmute the lower desire into a higher aspiration.
  • Make plans of improvement and then just execute them. I like to create 7-day plans, or 21-day plans or 40-day plans. I wrote a blog article some years ago on how I stick to my New Year’s resolutions, and that’s what I do. I make little plans of improvement. For the next seven days I will do this, for the next 10 days I will do that. This is also a wonderful tool to develop will power. So don’t make indefinite plans, make short ones. It’s fun. But again, it’s important to follow through to the end.
  • Foster the spirit of stick-to-itness. When you decide to do something, stick to it until you accomplish what you set out to do. Sticking to something to the end, persevering to the end, being determined to follow through to the end is using will power. Your will carries you to the end, to your goal.
  • And last but not least: For the next 21 days, before going to bed and in the morning before you start your day, repeat „I make decisions fast. I stick to my plans and execute them. I choose my own thoughts and hold them as long as I choose. I shut out all thoughts that interfere. My will is strong.“

ACTION STEP: Pick one of the above ideas (or all of them) and apply it for seven days.