What are your thoughts on "When you want to change, strategies are more helpful than will power.?

Use this forum to discuss the May 2021 Book of the month, "Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute: Tools To Spark Your Dream And Ignite Your Follow-Through" by Jeff Meyer.
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DANAWEB
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What are your thoughts on "When you want to change, strategies are more helpful than will power.?

Post by DANAWEB »

For me one of the most important points put forward by the author in this book is "When you want to change, strategies are more helpful than will power."

I find this true in every aspect, whether it is about our personal lives or about our career, or even in the work place scenarios.

When we consider our careers, everyone of us do want to make a move to another career or another work place at some point. However, unable to have a clear plan or a step by step approach as to what needs to be done on a consistent basis in order to succeed the chosen path.

Most of us has the will power, however we will not be successful if we do not have a clear strategy to follow our dream.
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Karissa Schilling
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Post by Karissa Schilling »

I'm not quite sure what to think of this idea. Sure, strategy is a necessary part of change, but if you lack the will power to change no strategy will be effective. As someone with MDD, I struggle with will power all the time, so just having a strategy isn't always going to work, especially since forming that initial strategy takes some level of will power. I think a combination of both is what yields change, not either of these concepts solely.
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DANAWEB
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Post by DANAWEB »

Karissa Schilling wrote: 09 May 2021, 10:29 I'm not quite sure what to think of this idea. Sure, strategy is a necessary part of change, but if you lack the will power to change no strategy will be effective. As someone with MDD, I struggle with will power all the time, so just having a strategy isn't always going to work, especially since forming that initial strategy takes some level of will power. I think a combination of both is what yields change, not either of these concepts solely.
yes, I see in your point in that aspect. I too agree that there should be a will power in the first place for you to even thinking of a change. My point is that, whilst you need to have a will power, you definitely should have a clear cut strategy as well. :D
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Post by Kavita Shah »

Interesting question. A plan executed without will power, hmm...if you're not willing to do it then how did you mange to do it.
Conversely if you're having the will power and no plan then how's that gonna help you?
If one is making a big decision such as changing jobs then one needs a plan of action, see all the possibilities, needs to gather up some courage, and also be willing to do that. It helps to know what next and also that you can do it.
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Post by Joy C »

I agree fully with this assertion. In my opinion, strategies could just be the push your will needs to pull through with the change you seek.
You won't be able to make any meaningful change if you don't first plan and or map out a path towards the end goal. That is not to say your will power is unimportant. Rather, strategies give your will power fuel to ride.
Begin always with the end in mind. :techie-studyingbrown:
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Post by Asma Aisha Ansari »

I think the author is right is when he says that strategies are more helpful than will power. It's because will power will last only until we do something that interests us and can keep us motivated. And thus, he asks us to establish some powerful but pragmatic morning routines. By doing this, we supply the necessary momentum to our will power to stay focused. Remember, will power is like stamina or physical strength. It's a resource that gets depleted over the course of the day. Just like how eating nutritious and balanced meals is imperative to a healthy body, so are strategies to our will power.
Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. - Agatha Christie
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Post by Mwatu »

I do agree with the author. A strategy ensures we are headed in the right direction and when willpower subsides, it reminds us of the end goal and how our actions now feed into what we are working towards. I feel willpower is volatile. Especially since good things take time and relying on willpower alone is likely to get us not far.
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Post by jeanmtdb »

Strategies are much more important than willpower for me. Willpower can be affected by health, circumstance, and peer pressure among other things. Strategies, on the other hand, are maps to success. Even if you go off the plan, you can return to it and pick up where you left off. If you're not achieving the success you want, willpower will fail you while strategies can be changed to fit new circumstances.
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Post by Wildflowertheorist »

Kavita Shah wrote: 09 May 2021, 12:53 Interesting question. A plan executed without will power, hmm...if you're not willing to do it then how did you mange to do it.
Conversely if you're having the will power and no plan then how's that gonna help you?
If one is making a big decision such as changing jobs then one needs a plan of action, see all the possibilities, needs to gather up some courage, and also be willing to do that. It helps to know what next and also that you can do it.
I completely agree with you.
Will alone cannot make a change and neither can strategy.
Both are equally important. Willpower isn't gonna change the world alone but with a through strategy one can definitely make healthy changes. Considered that after strategizing, action is taken.
"When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."

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Post by jaym_tan »

For me, strategies triumph over willpower any day because having only willpower doesn't guarantee that a person will be able to achieve success. Having a strategy gives a person some guidance and they know what course of action they must take.
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Post by Ahbed Nadir »

I believe in this saying explicitly. When you want to change set plans and steps are far more effective than simple willpower and simply saying i want to change. Different scenarios could occur that your willpower alone would not be able to stand against. As such, one has to have set strategies or plans for every eventuality as this preparedness will help make change easier. This can be applied to any sort of addiction, whether alcoholism, drugs, masturbation etc. One has to prepare for any possible temptation. I agree with this saying.
"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends"- Albus Dumbledore
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Post by Jennifer Garcia 555 »

I think it depends on the person. Some people have a lot of will power and are able to just suddenly make big changes and stick to them. Others need a plan to follow so they don’t get off track or get overwhelmed.
“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” — L. M. Montgomery
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Post by _claudi_ »

When you have an addiction or Conditioned to living a certain way, The willpower to change is more important than Strategies. But in the end, it depends on the person and the kind of support received.
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Post by cd20 »

I think if you have a strategy you are more likely to achieve your goal. I do things all the time that I do not have the willpower or "want to" to do. The reason I do them is because I have written them down on my daily to-do list. So, I agree with this statement.
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Post by Sekhmet September »

Part of creating a plan involves being realistic. Often, I find it helpful to break a bigger goal into 'baby steps' and it will help feelings of overwhelm. Especially if I start to find myself meting or even finishing them early. A plan without the discipline or will to follow it through is worthless.
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
Hebrews 11 1 NIV
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