The Men of Iron Minute

by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation

Willpower Needs a Friend

Up until a few years ago, I ate ice cream every night. This is not an exaggeration. I love ice cream. Cookies and cream, cookie dough, and moose tracks were three of my favorites. Not enough to rob a bank, but you get the point. My overindulgence with ice cream started small. A bowl here or there; then a half-gallon a week, which turned into a gallon or more a week. The eventual outcome was ice cream every night with tons of toppings (duh, toppings)! I made a habit of eating ice cream, and without planning, eating ice cream without restraint was a lifestyle. If eating ice cream were an Olympic sport, I would have medaled.

Eating ice cream wasn’t a problem until it was a health problem, which is a big problem. After years of neglect, I was overweight and always felt sluggish. A man in his thirties shouldn’t be out of breath from mowing the lawn unless he has underlying severe health concerns. I did not. I had a “feed your face” problem, and those can be solved with some self-discipline. I was ashamed but not powerless. I decided that we would not have ice cream in my house until I could break the cycle of unhealth. We ruthlessly cut ice cream out of our lives, and this bit of self-discipline helped a lot.

With that creamy goodness in the fridge, I knew I would fight the urge to overindulge every time I walked by the refrigerator. If willpower is your only tool, you’re underequipped for life’s challenges. Willpower changes with hunger, sleep, and other human urges and desires, so I needed a change that would ease the temptations and make healthier choices easier. One big decision freed me up from many other smaller decisions. Those more minor decisions, over time, wear a man out. They chip away at his resolve and erode his resilience. A man needs self-discipline. Do you have a hangup, habit, or addiction? Willpower alone will fail you.

Consider this: is there a big decision (self-discipline) I can make to help me reach my goals? One big decision eliminates many smaller decisions. Befriend self-discipline.

Be a mentor.

Find a mentor.

Be a better man.

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