---
product_id: 1930678
title: "The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It"
price: "167 kr"
currency: DKK
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.dk/products/1930678-the-willpower-instinct-how-self-control-works-why-it-matters
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region: Denmark
---

# 10-week practical willpower course Stanford-based science-backed insights Mindful self-awareness techniques The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It

**Price:** 167 kr
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🔥 Unlock your inner power: Master willpower, master your life!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It
- **How much does it cost?** 167 kr with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.dk](https://www.desertcart.dk/products/1930678-the-willpower-instinct-how-self-control-works-why-it-matters)

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## Why This Product

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## Key Features

- • **Humor Meets Hard Science:** Enjoy an entertaining, conversational style that makes complex psychological concepts accessible and engaging.
- • **Mindful Self-Awareness Tools:** Learn to recognize and manage internal conflicts with practical exercises that enhance emotional and behavioral control.
- • **Proven Impact on Life & Career:** Readers report improved focus, healthier relationships, and accelerated professional growth—don’t get left behind.
- • **Science-Backed Willpower Mastery:** Grounded in Stanford research, this book decodes the psychology behind self-control for real-world success.
- • **Transformative 10-Week Challenge:** Engage with a structured, chapter-by-chapter program designed to build lasting habits and boost your willpower muscle.

## Overview

The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a bestselling, science-based guide that reveals why self-control is a battle within multiple selves. Rooted in Stanford University research, it offers a 10-week practical course with exercises to strengthen willpower through mindful self-awareness. Combining humor with psychology, this book empowers professionals to overcome impulsive behaviors, improve focus, and achieve meaningful personal and career goals.

## Description

The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It [McGonigal PhD, Kelly] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It

Review: A Guide to Improving Your Life - We generally think of ourselves as one body and one mind ... a single unit working together. But according to Kelly McGonigal, the author, "...we've seen again and again that we are not one self, but multiple selves. Our human nature includes both the self that wants immediate gratification, and the self with a higher purpose." This is what makes self-control or willpower so difficult, we are actually fighting against ourselves. The benefits of self-control are significant. "People who have better control of their attention, emotions, and actions are better off almost any way you look at it. They are happier and healthier. Their relationships are more satisfying and last longer. They make more money and go further in their careers." The Willpower Instinct is a guide for improving your self-control. It is based on the award winning class which Ms. McGonigal teaches at Sanford University. Her writing style is very conversational and entertaining. She has a keen sense of humor which shows up throughout the book. While she is a college professor, the book was written for the general public in easy to understand language. Many of the concepts in the book are counterintuitive. We think the warning on cigarette packages should work to deter smoking. They actually have the opposite effect. "Frightening cigarette warnings can make smokers crave a cigarette, economic crises can make a person shop, and the nightly news can make you fat." The book is filled with examples of how and why we have willpower failures and ways we can work around these failures. "Self-control is a matter of understanding these different parts of ourselves, not fundamentally changing who we are. In the quest for self-control, the usual weapons we wield against ourselves - guilt, stress and shame - don't work." What does work is self-awareness. Paying attention to what is going on inside and realizing that there is a difference between thinking about something and acting on those thoughts. This book will give you a lot of insights into why we do the things we do, where our willpower fails us and why. You will also find many exercises which will help you strengthen your willpower. There is a lot of information in this book. I doubt that you will be able to absorb all of it in one reading. But it is very entertaining and should be studied and referred to often to help you build and strengthen your willpower. It will have a significant impact on your life. Excellent resource for improving your willpower and your life.
Review: Invaluable for developing willpower; pursuing goals - This book is based on a course in willpower the author (Kelly McGonigal, PhD) teaches for Stanford University. McGonigal is a good writer with a very good sense of humor and her book relies on solid scientific research related to the psychology of willpower. In the beginning, she encourages the reader to come up with a "willpower challenge" or behavioral change to work on during a ten week "home course" related to the book's ten chapters (studying one chapter per week). (And, of course, one could read the book all the way through first, if they prefer.) Most of the chapters focus on particular psychological challenges (one per chapter) related to willpower and one's efforts to create a new habit, or change an old habit. In these chapters, she explains the psychological mechanisms at play (often related to how we sabotage ourselves) and shows how they could be overcome. Numerous tips and exercises are offered to help the reader. This forms the heart of the book and the insights offered are priceless for anyone who wants to develop more willpower and be more successful at pursuing their goals. To me, this material is worth "5 stars." Thanks to this book, after reading it straight through, I have resumed a daily meditation practice and resumed doing yoga. And I look forward to other positive changes as I work with it more methodically. One weakness of the book relates to the "willpower challenge" the reader is instructed to come up with in the beginning. For one thing, people who need help in creating a goal and designing a plan for achieving it (with short term goals, etc), are not given such assistance. A brief description of such things could have been put in an appendix, since this assignment was to serve as a background for the "course". Furthermore, throughout the book, there should be more references to this challenge, with the reader being encouraged to reflect on his/her overall progress with it (perhaps in a "willpower journal" or "willpower challenge journal"). The challenge, and how the reader progressed with it, are not even addressed in the summary questions on the last page. (For an excellent book that has everything one needs to know for creating and achieving goals, read Succeed by social psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson.) One thing I have difficulty with is the author's idea of looking at your "self" that is motivated toward positive future goals as the "real you" vs the impulsive part of you which would therefore not be the "real you." (page 104) In my opinion, this is bad psychological advice. While certainly one wants to emphasize the part of oneself that is oriented toward positive future goals, the sort of "judgmental split" that the reader is encouraged to create could result in denying or suppressing one's "undesirable" impulsive nature, which could make it less conscious and therefore more powerful ("what you resist persists"). Paradoxically, only when one is able to open up to, and fully accept, their impulsive nature (or any other part of themselves they have resistance to), without trying to make it go away, is it likely to transform or diminish. (In another part of the book, Chapter 9, the author does encourage accepting unwanted thoughts and feelings, which is the "right" psychological approach for things you don't like about yourself.) I would also have liked for McGonigal to have included a bibliography (ideally an annotated one). In addition to this book, I read two other books related to willpower. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg gives a simple but valuable presentation of the basic mechanism behind habits. (cue that triggers a habit or routine > the routine > the reward which one learns to crave) He then shows how to use this "habit loop" to create a new habit or overcome a "bad" habit. He also gives some helpful information on willpower based on research studies. Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength is co-authored by Roy Baumeister, one of the foremost researchers on willpower, and John Tierney. This book has numerous insights on willpower and how to develop it, as well as insights and tips related to setting goals and changing habits. The authors of this book have a good sense of humor.

## Features

- The willpower instinct
- Language: english
- Book - the willpower instinct: how self-control works, why it matters, and what you can do to get more of it

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #20,571 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #24 in Popular Applied Psychology #479 in Motivational Self-Help (Books) #482 in Personal Transformation Self-Help |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 3,362 Reviews |

## Images

![The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71tvkO9Db4L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Guide to Improving Your Life
*by J***R on April 24, 2012*

We generally think of ourselves as one body and one mind ... a single unit working together. But according to Kelly McGonigal, the author, "...we've seen again and again that we are not one self, but multiple selves. Our human nature includes both the self that wants immediate gratification, and the self with a higher purpose." This is what makes self-control or willpower so difficult, we are actually fighting against ourselves. The benefits of self-control are significant. "People who have better control of their attention, emotions, and actions are better off almost any way you look at it. They are happier and healthier. Their relationships are more satisfying and last longer. They make more money and go further in their careers." The Willpower Instinct is a guide for improving your self-control. It is based on the award winning class which Ms. McGonigal teaches at Sanford University. Her writing style is very conversational and entertaining. She has a keen sense of humor which shows up throughout the book. While she is a college professor, the book was written for the general public in easy to understand language. Many of the concepts in the book are counterintuitive. We think the warning on cigarette packages should work to deter smoking. They actually have the opposite effect. "Frightening cigarette warnings can make smokers crave a cigarette, economic crises can make a person shop, and the nightly news can make you fat." The book is filled with examples of how and why we have willpower failures and ways we can work around these failures. "Self-control is a matter of understanding these different parts of ourselves, not fundamentally changing who we are. In the quest for self-control, the usual weapons we wield against ourselves - guilt, stress and shame - don't work." What does work is self-awareness. Paying attention to what is going on inside and realizing that there is a difference between thinking about something and acting on those thoughts. This book will give you a lot of insights into why we do the things we do, where our willpower fails us and why. You will also find many exercises which will help you strengthen your willpower. There is a lot of information in this book. I doubt that you will be able to absorb all of it in one reading. But it is very entertaining and should be studied and referred to often to help you build and strengthen your willpower. It will have a significant impact on your life. Excellent resource for improving your willpower and your life.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Invaluable for developing willpower; pursuing goals
*by W***E on July 8, 2012*

This book is based on a course in willpower the author (Kelly McGonigal, PhD) teaches for Stanford University. McGonigal is a good writer with a very good sense of humor and her book relies on solid scientific research related to the psychology of willpower. In the beginning, she encourages the reader to come up with a "willpower challenge" or behavioral change to work on during a ten week "home course" related to the book's ten chapters (studying one chapter per week). (And, of course, one could read the book all the way through first, if they prefer.) Most of the chapters focus on particular psychological challenges (one per chapter) related to willpower and one's efforts to create a new habit, or change an old habit. In these chapters, she explains the psychological mechanisms at play (often related to how we sabotage ourselves) and shows how they could be overcome. Numerous tips and exercises are offered to help the reader. This forms the heart of the book and the insights offered are priceless for anyone who wants to develop more willpower and be more successful at pursuing their goals. To me, this material is worth "5 stars." Thanks to this book, after reading it straight through, I have resumed a daily meditation practice and resumed doing yoga. And I look forward to other positive changes as I work with it more methodically. One weakness of the book relates to the "willpower challenge" the reader is instructed to come up with in the beginning. For one thing, people who need help in creating a goal and designing a plan for achieving it (with short term goals, etc), are not given such assistance. A brief description of such things could have been put in an appendix, since this assignment was to serve as a background for the "course". Furthermore, throughout the book, there should be more references to this challenge, with the reader being encouraged to reflect on his/her overall progress with it (perhaps in a "willpower journal" or "willpower challenge journal"). The challenge, and how the reader progressed with it, are not even addressed in the summary questions on the last page. (For an excellent book that has everything one needs to know for creating and achieving goals, read Succeed by social psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson.) One thing I have difficulty with is the author's idea of looking at your "self" that is motivated toward positive future goals as the "real you" vs the impulsive part of you which would therefore not be the "real you." (page 104) In my opinion, this is bad psychological advice. While certainly one wants to emphasize the part of oneself that is oriented toward positive future goals, the sort of "judgmental split" that the reader is encouraged to create could result in denying or suppressing one's "undesirable" impulsive nature, which could make it less conscious and therefore more powerful ("what you resist persists"). Paradoxically, only when one is able to open up to, and fully accept, their impulsive nature (or any other part of themselves they have resistance to), without trying to make it go away, is it likely to transform or diminish. (In another part of the book, Chapter 9, the author does encourage accepting unwanted thoughts and feelings, which is the "right" psychological approach for things you don't like about yourself.) I would also have liked for McGonigal to have included a bibliography (ideally an annotated one). In addition to this book, I read two other books related to willpower. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg gives a simple but valuable presentation of the basic mechanism behind habits. (cue that triggers a habit or routine > the routine > the reward which one learns to crave) He then shows how to use this "habit loop" to create a new habit or overcome a "bad" habit. He also gives some helpful information on willpower based on research studies. Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength is co-authored by Roy Baumeister, one of the foremost researchers on willpower, and John Tierney. This book has numerous insights on willpower and how to develop it, as well as insights and tips related to setting goals and changing habits. The authors of this book have a good sense of humor.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sensible strategies for making small steps to improvement
*by H***K on April 21, 2013*

The Willpower Instinct is based on a course the author gives at a prestigious american university. She covers a number of ways to handle your willpower but ultimately, it becomes about mindfulness about our cravings, urges and decisions. There were a number of good lessons: the white bear exercise, you and you 2.0 and surfing the urge. A study asked participants to not think about a white bear. It was pretty much impossible. The only way to escape an undesired thought is very counter intuitive: allow it to enter your consciousness. Simply allowing it to enter and observing it will not hurt us is quite powerful. If you've ever been anxious or woken up at night praying you'll fall asleep you'll know when the white bear applies. You and you 2.0 observes when we procrastinate we think you in the future (you 2.0) is more energetic, happier, smarter, stronger and less stressed than you. When you can accept that the future you won't be Superman but the same old you, you might just get things done straight away. The last strategy I'll discuss involves the intense observation of addictive urges - some might think this applies to alcoholics only, but anyone who looks at their cell phone more than they like or drinks coffee as a habit is an addict in my mind. In this excercise, smokers were told to spend an hour and a half going through the steps of lighting a cigarette, without touching the flame to the cigarette and surfing but not satisfying the urge. Taking these steps, smokers were able to resist their urges much more easily a week later. The tough part of the book is reading it slowly, maximum one chapter every three/four days (ideally one per week) and using the strategies. Isn't it ironic reading the book properly requires above average willpower? Just like any self help book, for the book to work the reader needs to participate to make it a success. Aren't they going to write the book that the reader only has to read and all changes will be complete ;-)? Good luck and enjoy - don't expect miracles, expect some sensible, well-researched advice and strategies that if employed might help make the change you want.

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*Last updated: 2026-02-23*