One of the first things you’ll learn in The Willpower Instinct, is that willpower is a mind-body response, not a virtue. Having more of it does not make you a better person, it just makes you a more efficient person. However, being more efficient can benefit you whether you’re trying to lose weight, complete a difficult project at work, or watch less television. Thankfully, in The Willpower Instinct, you’ll discover that there are steps you can take to increase your own willpower.

Like a muscle, willpower can be built up, and it can also be depleted. One of the lessons that Kelly McGonigal teaches is that in order to increase your willpower, you need to avoid putting yourself into too many situations that quickly deplete it. A simple example would be changing your route in the office, so that instead of walking past (and having to resist) the snack dispenser four times a day, you never walk past it. Less willpower depleted on resistance, more available for other tasks. This is just one example of the many useful techniques you’ll find in this book which will enable you to increase your willpower, and as a result: the quality of your life.

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Learn More: The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal