Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Willpower summary
Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney
Why Self-Control is the Secret of Success
19 mins
Brief summary
"Willpower" by Roy Baumeister & John Tierney is a science-based exploration of self-control and how to strengthen it. It reveals practical tips for increasing our willpower, achieving our goals, and living a healthier and happier life.
Topics
Table of Contents
Willpower
Summary of 8 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 8
Willpower is like a muscle that tires with use.
Imagine that you’ve just left the gym after a hard workout. Your legs wobble on the way to your car, and your arms are so exhausted that even tugging the door handle feels like a feat of strength. Your willpower works much the same way.
The more willpower you exercise without interruption, the less you’ll have available immediately after.
Essentially, we have a limited “supply” of willpower to use in our day-to-day – from choosing broccoli over cookies to being nice to our in-laws. Any of these tasks can contribute to willpower depletion.
This was verified in one of the author’s own studies, in which participants were placed in a room that smelled of delicious cookies and then divided into groups: one group got to eat cookies, while the other was asked to eat radishes instead.
In the second half of the experiment, participants had to solve geometry puzzles. Surprisingly, those who forwent the delicious cookies and instead ate radishes spent significantly less time trying to complete these puzzles than those who simply ate the cookies: 12 minutes less, in fact.
In other words, using their willpower to resist the cookies left them with less stamina available to tackle difficult tasks later.
In addition, our willpower and decision making are intimately tied together – each has drastic effects on the other. For example, many “deciders” – e.g., prime ministers, mayors and other people in positions of power – seem to more easily succumb to carnal temptations and get involved in sex scandals.
This is likely due to decision fatigue. Having to make so many important decisions on a regular basis exhausts their available willpower, and thus makes it difficult to resist temptations.
In the same vein, we tend to make worse decisions when we suffer from mental fatigue. For many this plays out daily, when people come home exhausted from work and find themselves bickering with their spouse instead of finding compromises.
Want to see all full key ideas from Willpower?
Key ideas in Willpower
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Willpower about?
Willpower brings the concept of self-control back into mainstream discussions on achievement. It takes contemporary scientific studies and breaks them down, demonstrating that, despite the previously held views of many experts, willpower can indeed be harnessed and strengthened to make the changes in your life you’ve always wanted to make.
Willpower Review
Willpower (2011) offers a captivating exploration of the science behind self-control and how it affects our lives. Here's what makes this book a worthwhile read:
- Packed with practical strategies and research-backed insights, it empowers readers to strengthen their willpower and achieve their goals.
- Combining psychology, biology, and personal anecdotes, the book provides a fascinating look into the inner workings of willpower, making it both informative and engaging.
- With its exploration of topics like decision-making, temptation, and perseverance, Willpower keeps readers intrigued, ensuring that learning about self-control is anything but boring.
Best quote from Willpower
Decision fatigue leaves us vulnerable to marketers who know how to time their sales.
—Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney
Who should read Willpower?
- Anyone interested in behavioral science
- Anyone whose fickleness gets in the way of their success
- Anyone interested in how the brain works
Categories with Willpower
Book summaries like Willpower
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
31 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Willpower FAQs
What is the main message of Willpower?
The main message of Willpower is that self-control is a key factor in achieving success and happiness.
How long does it take to read Willpower?
The reading time for Willpower varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Willpower a good book? Is it worth reading?
Willpower is a valuable read for anyone interested in understanding and improving their self-control. It provides practical insights and strategies for enhancing willpower.
Who is the author of Willpower?
Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney are the authors of Willpower.
What to read after Willpower?
If you're wondering what to read next after Willpower, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Marshmallow Test by Walter Mischel
- The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal
- The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner
- Insight by Tasha Eurich
- Get It Done by Ayelet Fishbach
- The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
- You Are Not Your Brain by Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Rebecca Gladding
- How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes
- Stop Overthinking by Nick Trenton