12 Questions to Build Self-Control

How to stop giving in to temptations?

Self-control isn’t always easy, right?
Here are 3 tips that can help you:
(In the last one, I’ll tell you a little story about myself)

1.    So, imagine you feel the urge to do something you know you shouldn’t.
Let’s say:
→    “Eating too much junk food”
Or:
→    “Spending too much money shopping online late at night”
What can we do here?
Well, we just need to find something else to do instead.
For example, an alternative to eating junk food could be:
→    Taking a walk or doing a hobby you enjoy
An alternative to spending money could be:
→    Setting a budget before you even start browsing

2.    Now, imagine you tend to snack a lot in the afternoon.
What can you do?
Well, a powerful tool is simply called “planning ahead.”
Yep! You got it right!
Planning ahead often solves a lot of problems.
Now, take a quick moment — just a moment.
Think about a situation where you find it hard to keep control.
Can you picture it?
Great! What you can do is this:
→    Plan ahead for those moments so you’re ready to resist temptation
For example, if you tend to snack a lot in the afternoon, try this:
→    Prepare a healthy lunch that keeps you full longer
→    Or eat a healthy snack 15 minutes before the temptation usually comes in

3.    Now, let’s see if you agree with me.
Self-control is something we can practice, right?
Great! Do you know what I did to practice self-control?
Back in 2015, when I was a Personal Trainer, I used to:
→    Go grocery shopping at the mall every week
→    Walk by a small pizzeria (in Italy, you know…)
→    Stop for a minute
→    Look at the different pizzas
→    Smell the aroma
→    And walk away without buying anything.
Trust me: it’s not easy.
Especially when you have Italian pizza in front of you.
I did that every week for months.
And of course, it built my self-control in front of temptations.
So, what do I wanna say with this?
Simply the fact that self-control is like a muscle.
The best way to get stronger is by challenging ourselves regularly.
How?
By making decisions and taking action that require willpower.
Like I did with pizza.
But pay attention — there comes a moment when you might say,
→    “Whatever, just this once…”

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