Let’s Talk About Willpower

A lot of people believe they can simply will themselves to victory. Some can—and do. But many don’t. Over the years, I’ve seen that relying on willpower alone often leads to frustration and, ultimately, failure.

Instead, I like to focus on building systems. Systems that work within your daily routines. When you combine a good system with willpower, you dramatically improve your chances for success.

Take this example: you’ve decided you want to lose weight and build muscle. So you declare you’re going to start working out every day at 4 a.m., even though you’ve never been a morning person. If that plan sticks for you, fantastic—run with it!

But more often, this approach is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. People who’ve never consistently woken up early end up exhausted, discouraged, and eventually give up altogether.

Instead, look for ways to weave fitness into the schedule you already have. For example, maybe you pick up your kids from school at 3 p.m. and spend an hour sitting in the car while they’re at practice. That’s a perfect opportunity to create a system. Instead of scrolling your phone, use that built-in downtime to get to the gym, go for a run, or take a walk. Because it’s already part of your day, it takes much less willpower than forcing yourself out of bed at 4 a.m.

Now, I’m all for early morning workouts if that genuinely works for you. But if it isn’t sticking, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed—it just means you haven’t found the right system yet.

Especially when you’re first starting out, don’t make it harder than it has to be. Look for the time slot that fits easiest into your current routine and commit to that. Keep showing up consistently. If your schedule changes, adjust. Over time, you’ll discover what works best for you, and you’ll always have the freedom to tweak your routine along the way.

You don’t have to disrupt your whole life to get your workouts in. Start by finding the spaces where fitness fits naturally—and build from there.

Ready to create a system that actually works for you? Visit axisstrengthtraining.com and schedule your free “No Sweat Intro” to sit down with us and talk about your goals. Let’s build your plan together!