Willpower's Lie
: Building Fortresses in Your Mind
They tell you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. To will it into being. That's a story for suckers. Willpower's a cheap suit in a bar fight—looks good, but tears easily. The real war? It's inside your skull. The enemy? Your own soft, predictable self, waiting to betray you at the first whiff of a biscuit.
We talk a lot about external threats, donkeys in power, and the bastard world trying to grind you down. And that's all true enough. But the real enemy, the one always lurking, is the shit show inside your own head. Your own flawed wiring. Your stupid, impulsive self that just wants to rip open that bag of crisps at 3 AM. Or say "yes" to another pissing favour you don't have time for.
Turns out, you're your own worst enemy. The good news? You can fortify your position. Build up the defences. This ain't about willpower. Willpower's a nice idea, but it runs out faster than a free pint. This is about architectural engineering for your brain. Setting up safeguards to protect yourself from… well, yourself.
The Biological Burden: Why You're Already Fucked
Ever tried to make a life-altering decision when you're knackered, starving, pissed off, or buzzing from too much caffeine? Don't bother. Your brain, that glorious three-pound lump of grey matter, it's not working right. It short-circuits. It looks for the easiest path, not the best one.
Sleep Deprivation: Makes you think. Plain and simple.
Hunger: Turns you into a grumbling caveman.
Stress/Emotion: Logic goes out the window, replaced by instinct.
unfamiliar environments/feeling rushed: Disorientation breeds bad choices.
The H.A.L.T. acronym from Alcoholics Anonymous – Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired – it's not just for teetotallers. It’s a fucking universal truth. If you're any of those, step away from the big decisions. Wait until you're not operating on fumes. Your inner arsehole will pipe down eventually.
Strategy 1: Prevention – Lock the Bloody Door
This is the simplest, most brutal safeguard. Stop the problem before it even thinks about getting in. Your fridge full of junk? Get rid of it. Pure it. Yes, you can still go to the shop and buy the crap. But that's effort. That's friction.
Think of it like this: an alcoholic doesn't keep a bottle of whisky in the cupboard "just in case." They clear the house. You want to eat healthier? Don't keep the biscuits next to the kettle. Don't even let them in the front door. Because that little voice, the one that whispers "just one," it gets louder when temptation’s two feet away. Make it a bloody hike.
Strategy 2: Automatic Rules – Cut Out the Goddamn Decision
Your life is a constant stream of choices. "Do I go to the gym today?" "Do I have that fizzy drink?" Every single one chips away at your willpower. Every single one is an opportunity for your lazy, irrational monkey brain to take over.
So, stop making decisions. Create rules.
Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, a bloke who knows a thing or two about how our brains screw us over, advocates for this. Rules automate your behaviour. They bypass the daily struggle.
"I go to the gym every day." Not "some days." Not "when I feel like it." Every day. Some days you'll hate it. But it's easier to follow the rule than it is to choose to break it.
"I only drink soda with dinner on Friday." Or "I don't drink soda at all." No argument needed.
Kahneman's own rule: "I never say yes to a request on the phone." Because people will ask, and you'll want to please, and suddenly your diary's packed with shit you don't want to do. He says he'll "get back to you." Most times, they don't follow up. They respect the rule.
People don't argue with your rules. They question your decisions, but they respect your rules. This is powerful. Use it. What would the "film crew" see you doing? What would you be ashamed of? Cut that shit out. Define the best version of yourself, then build the rules to make that version real.
Strategy 3: Creating Friction – Make It a Proper Pain in the Arse
You want to stop doing something? Make it harder. Make an effort.
My own problem was email. Constant checking. The dopamine hit. The way it hijacked my attention from what mattered. So, I told my colleagues: "If you see my email open before 11 AM, I'm buying you all lunch." Being competitive and cheap, I suddenly found plenty of friction. Result? Uninterrupted focus on the important stuff until well into the day.
If the path of least resistance leads to failure, then put a fucking boulder in it. Add effort where you don't want to do something. You'll be surprised how much just that little bit of extra bother will make you think twice.
Strategy 4: Putting in Guardrails – Your Personal Checklist
Pilots use checklists. Surgeons use checklists. You should, too. Not because you're thick, but because in the heat of the moment, or when you're on autopilot, your defaults take over.
"What am I trying to achieve?"
"Is this moving me closer or further away from that?"
These simple questions, like guardrails on a dangerous road, force you to slow down. They create a pocket of time for clear thought. Don't assume you'll remember the obvious when stress is high. Write it down. Look at it. Follow it.
Strategy 5: Shifting Your Perspective – Get Off Your Own Arse
We're all trapped in our own heads, our own "frame of reference." What you see right now, from where you're sitting, is only part of the damn picture. You're on a train, and everything looks stationary. But from the outside, from my perspective, you're hurtling along. What if there's a problem up ahead you can't see?
This is about blind spots. Most arguments, most office politics, most personal fuck-ups, come from not understanding another person's point of view.
My mate, who was a smart bloke but an arrogant arsehole, figured this out. He started asking:
"What did I miss?"
(After their answer) "What else did I miss?"
This ain't just being polite. It's a safeguard. It forces him to see things through their eyes. It makes him open to correction. It taps into that deep human need to correct others. And it made him not just better at his job, but indispensable. He stopped being a one-track prick and became a conduit. Eventually, when his boss moved, everyone wanted him. Didn't even have to ask.
Because changing your perspective changes what you see. And seeing more of the world, from different angles, that's how you avoid walking headfirst into a wall. It's how you bulletproof your decisions, not just from the outside world, but from the messy, unreliable beast within.
You think you're free? You think every choice is yours? Think again. Your own biology, your own laziness, your own fears—they're the bars of your cage. But you've got the blueprints now. The tools. It's time to stop fighting the symptoms and start rebuilding the structure. Brick by bloody brick. The war isn't outside; it's here. And you can win it.
Event Portfolio
Street Portfolio