Conserving Willpower

I'm reading Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, by Roy Baumeister and John Tierney.  They share some amazing experimental results showing that willpower is analogous to physical strength.  Like strength, willpower can grow through exercise.  But, like strength, you can't apply it for hours on end without getting drained.  Even the best athlete can only run so many miles, can only do so many push-ups.

The authors describe many experiments showing that groups of people who had to resist chocolate chip cookies when the researcher's back was turned or who were told to show no emotion when watching animals suffer in a documentary or who otherwise had to restrain themselves were subsequently unable to persist at puzzles or other challenging tasks compared to control groups who could have all the cookies they desired or who could cry when watching sad films.  Their willpower was drained as thoroughly as an athlete who runs 20 miles and then is asked to run 10 more.  One of the authors, Baumeister, apparently is one of the top researchers in the field.  He coined the term "ego-depletion" to describe what happens when someone has, temporarily, used up much of their willpower.  "Ego-depletion" quickly became the primary way that most psychologists described this phenomenon.

The lesson for me is that I need to consciously conserve willpower.  I should not try to force myself for long periods to do things that don't come naturally to me or to put myself through prolonged temptation to do things that are a waste of time or worse.

It's not that I shouldn't exercise willpower.  On the contrary, the exercise of willpower strengthens it.  It's more a matter of recognizing human limitations, and not kidding myself that I can just push ahead for hours and hours on a tough task without taking a break.  Maybe I can try, but if I'm honest with myself I'll notice my fatigue, loss of concentration, and reduced capability.  Better to take breaks and to limit the time I spend on the tasks that drain me.

This is part of being aware of my changing self.  I need to be aware of when I'm exercising willpower.  I'm not exercising--and draining--willpower when I do things out of habit, when I do things that feel natural and easy.  When, instead, I'm pushing myself, that is OK but I need to feel the drain on my willpower and to take a break while I'm still feeling fresh and energized.