People tell me all the time, "You must just have more willpower than I do."
Or they say their biggest challenge with productivity is that they "just don't have the willpower" to do hard things or make the changes they want to make.
Can I tell you something? That's not how willpower works.
And once you understand what's actually happening with your willpower, you're going to stop beating yourself up and start making some pretty simple changes that'll make a huge difference.
There's actual science behind this (not theory), so let's dive in.
1. Understand that willpower is a limited resource
Every single human being has a limited supply of willpower each day. Period.
You don't have an endless supply. You can't call on willpower at any time of day and expect it to be there.
Picture this: you've got a jar of M&Ms (peanut M&Ms, because those are my favorite). Every morning when you wake up, that jar is completely full. This jar represents your available willpower for the day.
Every time you do an activity that taps into willpower, M&Ms get pulled from that jar. And when the jar is empty? The jar is empty. There's no way to replenish it fully over the course of the day unless you're literally sitting there not engaging your brain in anything.
Then you go to bed at night. Your brain rests, your body refuels. You wake up the next morning and the magic willpower fairies come and refill your jar.
This is why people who are trying to change eating habits start out great in the morning but by nighttime are pulling out the Ben & Jerry's. It's not that they don't have enough willpower. They had it, but it was used up by the time evening came.
2. Know what activities drain your willpower
Two main things pull M&Ms from your jar:
First, any activity that requires significant brainpower. Learning a new task, taking a test, reading for study purposes, learning new software. Even if it's something you enjoy! I love learning new software, but even though I'm having fun, it's still pulling M&Ms from my jar because of the focus and brain power it requires.
Second, any time you're trying to change a behavior. Waking up earlier, starting a new exercise habit, changing eating habits. Every single time you say "No, I'm not going to eat those chips" or "No, I'm not going to hit snooze," that's taking something away from your willpower.
When you sit down and analyze all the things you're doing throughout your day that are either taxing your brain power or requiring you to change behavior, it's really eye-opening. You're calling on your willpower all day long.
No wonder you're making questionable decisions by evening.
3. Do your hardest stuff when your jar is full
This is why pretty much every highly productive person you read about focuses on their most important thing first thing in the morning or in the first chunk of their day.
A year and a half ago, I had Thursday afternoons reserved for content writing. Blog posts, planning, all of it. It's hard for me. Takes a lot of brain power. It's not something I particularly enjoy. And it was taking me forever. I was frustrated because I thought I should be able to do it better.
Then I moved that task to mornings. I do it at 9 AM now, first thing.
You know what happened? I started doing it in almost a third of the time. What used to take me close to two hours, I can now do in 30 to 45 minutes.
Because my willpower isn't depleted. I'm not trying to tap into an M&M jar that only has five M&Ms left. I'm sitting down with my jar full, and I'm able to produce content at a much faster rate and much higher quality.
4. Pay attention to your own energy patterns
Track your energy levels throughout the day. When do you feel most focused? When does your brain feel sharp versus foggy?
Yes, there are some people who are really productive in the evening. But when you look at the patterns of their day, almost all of them have a window of downtime in the midday or late day where they're resting that willpower muscle. Their mornings aren't structured in a way where they're doing heavy focus work or behavior-changing activities.
For me? All the things that take brain power, new habits, decision making, all of that happens in the early part of my day. Which is why as soon as the dinner hour hits, I'm pretty much rendered useless when it comes to things that require willpower.
5. Align your tasks with your willpower availability
Take an assessment. What tasks are you doing? What does your day look like? Where are you exercising your brain power? Where are you trying to implement new changes?
And critically, do you have those aligned at the right part of the day when your willpower reserve tank (that M&M jar) is full?
If not, you're going to constantly feel like you're failing. Like you don't have enough willpower. And you're going to stay stuck.
But it's not because you have less willpower than anyone else. You're not less disciplined. You just aren't aligning your activities in a way that sets you up for success.
Ready to stop relying on willpower alone?
Think about one task you've been struggling with. Something that takes a lot of brain power or requires you to change a behavior.
When are you currently doing it? Is it at a time when your M&M jar is already half empty?
What would happen if you moved it to a time when your jar is full?
Try it. Track what happens. I'm betting you're going to see a pretty dramatic difference.
- The TOP Planner for 2026 Is Here
It's that time of year when you're thinking about your planner for 2026. The TOP Planner is different because it's designed specifically for the weekly planning system I teach. It's not about daily to-do lists or scheduling every minute. It's about creating a realistic plan for your week that actually accounts for your real life.
This planner helps you see what's actually possible in any given week, make intentional choices about what matters most, and build in the flexibility you need when life throws curveballs. You've got three options: a physical planner in a binder format so you can start anytime, a printable version dated for 2026, or a digital version for your tablet. Same system, same weekly layout, three different formats so you can pick what works best for you. - FREE Ditch the Overwhelm 3-Step Process
Feeling buried by your to-do list? Constantly juggling work deadlines, family obligations, and that endless laundry pile? I created the free Ditch the Overwhelm 3-Step Process to help you toss overwhelm aside and focus on what truly matters, get into action immediately on your most important priorities, and maintain a clear mind so you can stay productive and energized.
This isn't about doing it all perfectly. It's about finding practical strategies to work with your life as it is right now. Think of it as a reset button that helps you focus on what truly matters so you can actually feel accomplished at the end of your day instead of just exhausted.
Does This Have to Be Right Now? How One Question Stops Overwhelm in Its Tracks
You sit down to make a grocery list, and suddenly you're filling out doctor's appointment forms, answering texts, and reorganizing the Tupperware cabinet. An hour later, you still don't have that grocery list done. Sound familiar? The problem isn't that you have too much to do. It's that you're treating everything like it needs to happen right now. Spoiler alert: 90% of it doesn't.
In this video, I'm sharing the one question that will help you stop context switching, stay focused on what actually matters, and finally quiet that nagging voice that says "I'll forget if I don't do it now." You'll learn why your brain keeps pulling you toward "right now" tasks and how to break the cycle, the simple system for capturing all those random thoughts without derailing your day, and how to stop worrying about forgetting things without jumping into action on everything.
|
Where I Put All the Household Paperwork (And How We Automate the Mental Load)
Someone asked me where I put all the emails, paperwork, bills, and forms that come in during the week so I don't forget to handle them during my weekend Household COO time. Great question, because having one central place for all of this is critical.
In this week's Weekly Buzz, I'm sharing exactly where all that stuff goes in my house, how we automate as much as possible from bill payments to meal planning to who's driving carpool, and the one tool my family uses to get all the mental load out of my head and into a central place everyone can access. You'll learn why creating central information repositories is the key to getting everyone else to take ownership instead of you being the one who has to remember and communicate everything.
Remember, this video is updated every Wednesday, so don’t miss it! Head to The Pink Bee app to watch now.
Friend, don’t forget—just 15 minutes of planning today can set the tone for your entire week. You’ve got the tools, you’ve got the tips, and now it’s time to take action. Let’s crush this week together!
Responses