You know the feeling: your legs are on fire, your heart rate is through the roof, everything in your head is screaming at you to stop and lie down in the grass. But somewhere deep inside there’s a voice saying, “We’re almost at the top—don’t give up. After this we’ll descend, and you can still sprint for a good result.” How loud that little voice is and how long you can keep it talking to you determines your will power. In this blog, I’ll show you what willpower is and how you can improve it.
What is will power?
Willpower (also called self-control or ego depletion) is the mental capacity to suppress impulsive reactions and sustain goal-directed behavior despite distractions, fatigue, or temptations. It’s often seen as a form of cognitive control—meaning you actively invest mental energy in not giving in to temptations.
Difference between self discipline & will power
Willpower and discipline are very similar. The best way to distinguish them is to see discipline as the rules you set—and willpower as what enables you to stick to those rules.
Cold shower endurance
A good example is sticking with a cold shower. You’ve decided to add a cold shower to your morning routine: every day you want to finish with at least thirty seconds of cold water. Discipline is what made this important to you; willpower is what makes you actually reach for the tap and turn it all the way to cold when you’re in the shower.
David Goggins & Andrew Huberman on willpower
Anterior cingulate cortex
Only when you truly don’t enjoy something does this orange area become stronger. As soon as you start to like taking cold showers, this brain region won’t get stronger. What David Goggins and Andrew Huberman also discuss is that this area isn’t just responsible for strengthening your willpower—it’s also responsible for your will to live!
Pretty important, then, for leading a long and, hopefully, happy life by regularly doing things you don’t enjoy! Like doing the dishes, vacuuming, and maybe also 40/20s on the road bike or other hard interval sessions.
Depleted willpower?
Willpower works like a muscle: the more often you use it, the stronger it gets—but if you overload it without recovery, it becomes depleted. Just as your legs get tired after a hard workout, your mental perseverance can decline after prolonged effort.
By training it gradually—taking on small challenges and building habits—your willpower becomes more resilient and better able to withstand stress and temptations. And just like muscles, it needs rest and recovery time to keep performing at its best.
That’s why it helps to reward yourself with something you enjoy after a heavy training week. It can be anything—from a gyros sandwich to a night out with friends. With these “mental aid stations,” you recharge your willpower so you can start the next week with a full battery.
3 tips to boost willpower
1. Build habits to save willpower
Willpower gets depleted faster when you constantly have to make conscious choices. By automating good habits, you reduce that load.
How to apply it? In addition to a fixed training plan, create a daily schedule. Decide hour by hour what you’ll do when—from eating habits to tidying up, from personal care to training. By building systems for these, you preserve more willpower.
A great tip here is the book Atomic Habits by James Clear
2. Use the 5-second rule to prevent procrastination.
If you notice yourself hesitating about doing a task, count down from 5 to 1 and start immediately. This prevents your brain from coming up with excuses to postpone it.
✅ How to apply it? Feel resistance to getting on the bike or starting a tough workout? Count down: 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… and GO! A good way to get ahead of this is to write down those excuses beforehand. That way you’ll recognize them and more easily choose an alternative response.
3. Train willpower with daily challenges
Willpower works like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets.
✅ How to apply it? Deliberately take on small discomforts—like finishing with a cold shower, adding a tough exercise to your workout, or eating with your non-dominant hand once in a while.
With these three approaches, you both reduce how often you need to rely on willpower and increase how long you can stick with activities you don’t immediately enjoy.
Have you downloaded my free e-book on the 4 most essential mental tools for cyclists?
