Use It or Lose It: The Truth About Willpower
Why doing things you don't want to do sometimes might be the best thing for your brain.
Hi friends!
I’ve been reflecting on this thought: we can either succumb to what feels easy and comfortable, or we can do the hard work of choosing discomfort more deliberately for the process and the long-term gains.
We live in an era of ultra convenience, where easy is part of our culture. Apps, algorithms, and AI has become the unofficial eliminators of friction in our day-to-day.
So, how do I protect my mind’s resilience in such a world? What scares me most is not that technology has made most things effortless, but how most things these days comes to us at such ease it’s eroding our willpower and capacity for tolerance.
In such a world, how can I retain my capacity to want to endure and overcome challenges—do the things I don’t want to do— if everything around me can be done with ease instead? Is there an app for that?
The anterior midcingulate cortex
Don’t feel bad if you’ve already forgotten this name, but you’ll want to remember what this brain structure does as neuroscientists are speculating it may be the seat of a person’s will to live. Yes, really.
According to neuroscientists, this small structure—and its size in your brain—reveals how well you’ve been working your resilience.
Because when do you things you find difficult or would rather avoid—like strength training or plunging into an ice bath—this part of your brain (the aMCC) will grow. How intriguing!
Essentially, the more you do the things you don’t want to do, the more this region develops which in turn will build greater resilience and willpower to carry you through life. Tell me someone who doesn’t want this gain!
But here’s the catch: there are no hacks!
You have to keep doing hard things—not once, but repeatedly, again and again—if you want to retain and develop your willpower. In other words, use it or lose it, as if life becomes too comfortable or too easy, what do you think will happen?
Andrew Huberman, of Stanford University (on his incredibly popular podcast: The Huberman Lab), highlights a fascinating fact from studies he’s investigated:
If you want the secret sauce to more resilience, this is your answer: do more hard things, and your brain will literally reward you by growing the region that contains it.
That’s a pretty great trade off, if you ask me. ;)
Here are some of the things I don’t want to do, but I do anyways:
#1 Running:
Contrary to what it may appear—having a run club and working as a fitness trainer in my past life—I never actually feel like I want to go for a run. There are some miraculous days when I’m enthusiastic about it, but it’s as rare as snowy days in the tropics.
I dread the run most right before I begin. I go through several cycles of convincing myself to want to run (aka torture myself in the moment for abstract future gains. Yippee.)
This reminds me of last week’s insight from Seth Godin, about how influential our systems and environments are in shaping our decisions. Perhaps why run clubs have exploded globally—camaraderie through hard work and physical torture. How lovely.
I am especially miserable when my muscle feels like they’re dissolving into nothingness as I push my pace, or when my heart starts violently pounding in protest when I go beyond my typical distance (I don’t know why I do).
I will never love running like how I love my dark chocolate peanut butter cups, but I do it anyways—because it’s good for me and my aMCC. ;)
#2 Cold Immersion:
I used to dunk my body in 3-6 degree Celcius water for 1-3 minutes a few times a week. But I’ve since rethought my recovery strategy, because the experts say submerging below 10 degrees Celcius for females is actually detrimental, as it causes too much blood vessel constriction. leading to lower blood circulation.
Still what’s done is done—at least my aMCC gained resilience.
We can train ourselves to resist it, but this is a great reminder of why trends can sometimes fool us. It’s still a benefit for men. But I’ll favor sauna sessions instead, as they’re a win-win for my body and aMCC.
#3 Stop myself from eating the whole tub of ice cream:
Once I’ve got myself going on a tub of vanilla Häagen-Daz (fun fact: it’s actually an American brand with a totally made up name that’s designed to sound premium and European), it’s hard to tear that tub off me.
In the moment, eating the whole tub always feels like a great idea. I enjoy every creamy bite. Though my obsession with vanilla Häagen-Daz, may seem a little too vanilla (pun intended), it’s also my favorite flavor because vanilla pairs with anything.
Think chocolate chip cookies, peanut drizzles, crushed chocolate hazelnut chocolate bars, or if I am feeling lush— a drizzle of quality olive oil and a sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt. It’s the little bit of luxe no one knew they needed until they’ve tried it.
What can I say, I’m a simple gal.
For further exploration, if you’re curious:
Video/Podcast. Huberman Lab Clips. How David Goggins Studies & Learns | David Goggins & Dr. Andrew Huberman.
Video/Podcast. Dr. Stacy Sims Official. Should Women Do Ice Baths? Benefits, Risks & Safe Temperatures Explained | Dr. Stacy Sims.
Study. National Library of Medicine. The role of anterior midcingulate cortex in cognitive motor control.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition, as much as I enjoyed writing it!