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willpower!

April 3rd, 2008 at 03:51 am

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Spending log - $1.19 coffee + $11 lunch

Found a very interesting article on willpower in the paper today.

Text is http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/opinion/02aamodt.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin and Link is
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/opinion/02aamodt.html?_r=1...

The high points:

Willpower appears to wax and wane depending on your other activities.

People appear to have a willpower 'budget'. Showing self control in one area of your life (eg controlling eating) can limit your willpower in other areas.

Willpower can be strengthened with use and challenge.

Learning about 'money management' (not really defined in the article) can help strengthen willpower.

I wonder if we, the Saving Advice community of bloggers, help strengthen willpower or are we a distraction to willpower? Does it matter if you are a blogger, sometime blogger, reader, or lurker?

5 Responses to “willpower!”

  1. Thrifty Ray Says:
    1207193877

    I think it depends on the blog, blogger and reader...

    I know that when I read a great idea and new way of saving...I am more apt to try it...while reading that someone's house is paid off when I have so far to go..might cause a negative reaction (why bother, I'll NEVER get there...) and I can definately see the corelation with dieting...a new idea-- OOH, I could try that...while a picture of a very thing model might trigger the "i'll never get there' emotion...hmm.

  2. paulettegoddard Says:
    1207195099

    I find that having to report in front of a group strengthens my willpower and maximizes my output: if I know someone is counting on me to come through or meet a goal or deadline then in most cases I try not to disappoint. Then again, I like reading new ideas and suggestions from the blogs here.

  3. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1207196334

    I am absolutely HUNGRY for new saving and financial coping ideas. I agree with the idea of the willpower budget. I've seen it in myself and others many times.

  4. cheshirecat Says:
    1207219290

    For me willpower is all about what I think.....If I think I can I can........If I think I can't I can't!

    And I can have all the willpower I want all I have to do is think I canSmile

  5. luxlivingfrugalis Says:
    1207231221

    I could care less about some worthy activities. I have to be like Joan-Of-The-Arch and be HUNGRY for it usually for it to get on the willpower list of to-dos.

    Deadlines help me as well.

    Blogging here helps me think thru the whys and wherefores of things and reading other's blogs help me with gathering different perspectives. Which is what I think money is all about. Your take on it. I'm not quite a 'The Secret' follower (although I've never seen it), I do feel that how we perceive our reality affects our outcomes.

    Ohh poor me thinking is rather stinking thinking! I'm more of a 'can do' girl. If I can wrap my head around the fact that if others can figure out the money game then so can I? THAT inspires me. I love all the different ideas garnered from SavingAdvice.com. Then I can either copycat, morph or even discard some of how others do things into useful 'willpower' for myself!

    I need to lose weight. Ehhh. I'm not too excited about that as I've lost before and gained it back. I need a lifelong method. For now, I'm tracking my weight. That's it. That's my babystep. Perhaps it will lead me to figuring out what step2 is. That and as I read here about others efforts in that arena perhaps ya'll will help me gain some willpower there as well.

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