How to put willpower in it’s place and succeed at your goals.

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So, you’ve set yourself some career goals, only to end up ignoring them – again. Maybe it’s taking that business course that you know could leap frog your career, but you’ve given up trying because you don’t have the will power to follow through. Well, maybe what you don’t have is the right strategy.  Instead of counting on willpower, you could try the “if-then” approach, says Psychology Today.

For example – let’s say the course you take in on Monday nights and it requires an additional 5 hours a week of studying. It’s easy – you simply say “if it’s Monday night, then I am at my course”.  If you are tempted to join friends for an evening out instead of studying you say “if my friends our going out on Wednesdays, then I will pass and study for my course.” This approach creates a link between a situation and the behavior that follows.  In the end you can always promise yourself that if you finish the course, then you will celebrate.