I cringed as soon as I heard the words come out of her mouth.

Several years ago I was doing research for my fledgling new business. Part of the process was to interview a variety of friends about health and fitness motivation. I’d ask the same handful of questions and capture their answers as quickly as I could type. And while everyone was in a different place in their health journey, there was one response I heard time and time again. 

“I just need a little more willpower.”

Even friends who were already quite healthy felt they could eat a little cleaner or sneak in a couple more weekly runs if they simply had more willpower.

It seemed like everyone was counting on willpower to magically appear one day and grant their wildest weight loss dreams.

(Spoiler alert – Via Giphy)

What is willpower?

In behavioral psychology, willpower is similar to a trait called self-control. Self-control helps you do (or avoid) things in the short term that enable you to achieve your long-term weight loss goals. Think of it as that little voice who helps you shun a second Nutella-filled doughnut.

Do we hate that little voice? Usually.

Is she right? Usually.

On the surface, it would appear that without willpower, we’re all doomed to be unhealthy and disappointed.

You don’t need willpower 

Have you seen any of the Avengers movies (there are only about 600 of them)? How come The Avengers are not just a team of seven Hulks? I mean, Hulk throws tanks like my 5-year-old throws furniture. On the surface, it appears that you would want a few more Hulks on your team.

Yet there’s Black Widow, Iron Man, Black Panther, and about twenty other, highly-profitable…I mean, talented superheroes that join forces.

Just like in real life, everyone has their own unique set of skills. Iron Man can fly faster than a jet and shoot missiles out of his arms. Black Widow can take out a room full of baddies in just a few seconds.

No one told Black Widow that she’d only be successful if she turned into a ten-foot, muscle-bound, green hulk. No one said Thor would be a total failure if he didn’t wield a patriotic shield.

Nope. They each brought their strengths to the party and seemingly saved the universe.

(I haven’t seen the last one – I’m going out on a limb here – Via Giphy)

Much like the Avengers, you also possess unique strengths called motivational traits. Motivational traits are deep-seated characteristics that influence what you think and do. One example is – you guessed it – self-control; casually known as willpower.

Now, if you don’t happen to have self-control as your strength, you can still join an elite team of superheroes…or at least fit back into your favorite jeans. That’s because there is more than one motivational trait. There’s conscientiousness, grit, achievement, and even locus of control. We call these your Motivational Superpowers.

And that’s where the opportunity begins:

You don’t need willpower to lose weight; you can use the motivational superpowers you already have.

The most exciting part is that these superpowers are relative! Which means you’re absolutely in possession of at least one.

Play to your strengths (superpowers) to lose weight

There’s a fundamental problem in weight loss rhetoric today.

Whether it’s your favorite IG health enthusiast, trendy workout program, or hyped-up diet brand, there’s a fairly consistent message, ‘The only way to lose that baby weight is to follow MY plan. If you don’t have enough discipline, or a passion for underwater hot HIIT kickboxing – tough sh*t. Those are your weaknesses and you need to work on them.’

That’s such an unempathetic, unrealistic way to approach change. No wonder we all quit after three weeks.

Thankfully, behavioral psychologists like the talented Dr. Jacinta Jiminez, and Gotivation’s own Dr. Ed Hansen, know that thinking is backward.

“We need to play to our strengths,” Dr. Jimenez once told me.

Figure out your motivational strengths and lean into them when you’re trying to lose weight, improve your nutrition, or tackle any challenging health goal.

Remember, just because you’re not teeming with willpower doesn’t mean you can’t lose weight.  We each have a unique way of staying motivated and committed. Uncover your motivational superpower and find out how much easier it is to get, and stay healthy when you play to your strengths.