willpower – Empowering Your Mind

Overcome the Law of Reversed Effort, Part 1

July 2, 2026 Linda-Ann Stewart Comments 0 Comment

by Linda-Ann Stewart

“The harder we try with the conscious will to do something, the less we shall succeed.” Aldous Huxley

Have you ever tried to force yourself to go to sleep? What about willing yourself to relax or meditate? Usually, the harder you try to do any of these the opposite happened. The more tense or more awake you got. This is called “The Law of Reversed Effort,” popularized by Aldous Huxley, or “The Law of Reverse Effect,” first described by Emile Coue.

Willpower Alone Can Sabotage You

Whenever you try to compel yourself to do some action, you create stress, tension and anxiety. Tension shuts down your creative flow, and the flow of the Universe. Stress sabotages your automatic mental and muscle memory, much like an athlete who thinks too hard about their next move. Stress blocks your progress.

Have you ever tried to change a habit with sheer willpower? It’s like trying to hold water in your fist. There’s no room for the water in your fist, and it slips away. Putting more energy into pressuring yourself to do something stirs up resistance to accomplishing it. And the more effort you put into trying to push through, the more resistance there is.

As a result, you start to think negatively, which just makes things worse, and more difficult. It doesn’t matter if it’s trying to balance your checkbook, complete a project, or change a habit. The more you try to force an outcome, the less success you’ll have.

How to Make Progress

Instead, you have to lighten up. Open up and relax your fist, and use it as a cup to gather water. Take a step back, and let your subconscious work on a better way of achieving your next step. Often, when I’ve hit a snag with a creative venture, like writing or weaving, I take a break. When I come back to it, the answer is there or the activity flows more smoothly. For instance, to go to sleep you have to allow drowsiness to creep through you.

Other ways to make progress are to take small steps. This results in small successes, which triggers your reward center, and gains the attention of your subconscious mind. You could also focus more on your process, the steps you’re taking, rather than your ultimate goal or vision. This reduces some of the pressure, and is a valuable technique when you’re struggling to get something done.

Next month, you’ll learn about why the Law of Reverse Effect functions the way it does and one powerful way to overcome it.

Affirmation:

Instead of trying to force things to happen, I step back and allow them to take place. I now let go of all stress and tension. I open up to new ways and new ideas of doing things. By doing so, I allow the Universal flow of good to expand in my life. I’m guided by the Divine life within me to make the decisions and take the actions that benefit me the most.

As a focus mentor, hypnotherapist, and writer, Linda-Ann Stewart motivates women entrepreneurs and small business owners to focus and transform their business through deliberate actions that break through distraction and overwhelm to greater success, wellbeing and prosperity.To boost productivity and reduce overwhelm, register for her FREE guide, Design Your Best Day, at https://www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/guide.html

3 Powerful Ingredients for Success

October 3, 2024 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Traffic light that signals both stop and go

When my friend Norah wanted to quit smoking, she threw away her cigarettes. Although she avoided them at home, when she was around someone who was smoking, she’d ask for one. To quit, she was using willpower to break the habit of smoking, but she hadn’t changed her attitude and feelings about cigarettes.

Even though she wanted to quit, she still viewed herself as a smoker. Cigarettes still had positive associations for her, and she wanted to fit in with her smoking friends when they were together. That lasted until she ended up in the hospital with pneumonia and almost died. Then, she finally changed her attitude about them and quit smoking permanently.

Ingredients for Success

To achieve your goals, you need to have your intention and beliefs aligned. Norah had a goal, but her beliefs and self-image weren’t in agreement with it. When your goal and attitude clash, your mindset will prevent you from meeting your goal. This is true for both your personal and professional lives. The Law of Attraction will act on your deeply held beliefs rather than your stated desire. For success, three powerful ingredients are essential.

1. Willpower.

Willpower is a function of your conscious mind, which makes decisions and chooses your vision or goal. Although willpower will get you moving on a goal, it can only take you so far. After a while, your willpower wanes due to exhaustion and stress, among other factors. It then becomes hard to avoid distraction and temptation.

Willpower isn’t about forcing your desire into manifestation. It’s more about being self-disciplined and having self-control. You allow the Universe to work through you as you willingly take the actions necessary for your goal.

When you get tired or stressed, you become too overwhelmed to deal with the changes your goal requires and you return to familiar and known behaviors. It’s easier to be impulsive, and you may not make the best decisions. Rather than rationally deciding on the best course, you react from past beliefs and experiences.

Use your willpower sparingly and realize it’s a limited resource. Instead, prepare for situations by making decisions ahead of time so that you can follow them automatically. Stay focused on small steps that will direct you towards your goal.

2. Mindset.

Your mindset has been programmed into your subconscious mind by your past ideas and experiences. To be successful, your thought patterns, beliefs and attitudes must be in harmony with your goal. Otherwise, the Law of Attraction will act on your deep beliefs and sabotage your conscious desire. When you want to achieve a goal, consider how you think and feel about it.

When you change your mindset to align with your new goal, you change your relationship to your goal and the actions you need to take. Changing the way you think about it means your actions come more naturally, and your willpower just implements them.

When your mindset supports your goal, focus on the benefits of it and why you want it.

3. Imagination.

Your imagination is the creative part of you and also a function of your subconscious mind. A key to changing your mindset is imagining what can be accomplished. Use your imagination to visualize how your goal will look when it’s completed. The Universe will use your visualization as a model and bring you everything you need to achieve your goal.

When you imagine a situation, whether it’s choosing an apple over candy, making a follow up call, or working on working on your budget, you allow your subconscious to rehearse the motions of success. You familiarize your subconscious with your chosen actions and create pathways in your mind to make it easier to follow through.

Focus on the best outcome. When you do, instead of seeing the result as an observer, put yourself in the picture. Feel the satisfaction from accomplishing your goal. Then follow through with actions to achieve your vision.

Align Your 3 Powers for Success

If your willpower, and mindset and imagination are in conflict, your mindset and imagination will win every time. However, when the three are in alignment, then success becomes almost inevitable. Once Norah changed her attitude about smoking, and imagined herself as a nonsmoker, it was easy for her to use her willpower to abstain from cigarettes.

Your mindset and imagination fuel your willpower. As you change your thoughts and beliefs, and imagine the possibilities, your results change as well. Combine the drive of your willpower, the energy of your beliefs, and the power of your imagination to create the life you want.

Affirmation:

The Universe guides me to make the right decisions that support my goals. I set my intention to follow the ideas and steps necessary to fulfill my vision. I now align my thoughts, beliefs, actions, and mental pictures with my intended goal. When they are all aligned, the Universe can deliver everything I need to succeed. My desire to achieve my goal sustains me and assists me to stay focused. Each step I take makes it easier to stay on course and take the next one. I keep my mind focused on my direction and take the actions necessary to achieve my vision.

Watch the accompanying videos, Use Your Won’t Power to Strengthen Your Willpower and Visualization to Align Your Self-Image with Your Goal.

Use Your Won’t Power to Strengthen Your Willpower

September 18, 2024 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda_Ann Stewart

Transcript:

Welcome. In this video, I want to share a way that will help strengthen your ability to use your willpower to stay on course to your goals. My mother used to say that a major component of willpower was won’t power. Won’t power is choosing to avoid one thing, and instead do something else. When I facilitated tobacco cessation classes, as well as in my hypnotherapy practice, I found this to be very true.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a focus mentor, writer and hypnotherapist. These videos are dedicated to empower you to focus and align your heart with your vision so you can achieve your goals.

In my tobacco cessation classes, the group would discuss various tips, tactics and techniques to quit smoking and abstain from cigarettes. There was no one idea that worked for everyone, so the individuals would find one, or more, that would work for them.

Many of them discovered that telling themselves that “smoking is not an option,” when they were tempted, worked well to stop them from lighting one up. And then they could transition to one of the other tactics to keep them on track. But their won’t power of “not an option” was first. It cemented their commitment and motivation to quit smoking.

Won’t power can reinforce your willpower. Once you have decided what you “won’t” do, the decision is made. There is no second guessing of it. It helps to eliminate the temptation before you shift to what it is you do choose to do. It can make it easier to stay on course to your goal.

How could you use it in your personal and professional lives? Wherever you know you’ll encounter temptations, you can decide they aren’t “an option,” at least for a certain amount of time.

For instance, in your work, we know that distractions and multitasking are time sinks, right? So you could decide that you check your email only three specific times a day, or never before 10am. Checking at any other time, “isn’t an option.”

Or, during your focused work periods, you won’t answer the phone or check into social media. It just isn’t an option when you have set aside time to work on a project or make follow up contacts.

In your personal life, let’s say you want to reduce weight, the donuts in the break room are off your menu. They just “aren’t an option.” To be more present with your family at dinner, answering your phone then is “off the table.”

Think about your goals, and what might trigger you to detour from them. Where or when might you be tempted. Then decide what “isn’t an option” for you, so that you remain on track. And then choose what you do want, and how you want to proceed to your goal. What positive actions do you want to take to support your goal? Use your won’t power to reinforce your willpower and you’ll find it a lot easier to achieve your dreams.

Thank you for watching. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. And if you’d like to be notified when I release more videos on mindset, motivation and empowerment, please like my channel and click on the bell. As always, stay focused.

Read the accompanying article, 3 Powerful Ingredients for Success.

Develop Self-Mastery by Managing Your Attention

August 7, 2024 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

“Energy flows where attention goes” means that wherever you put your attention, you channel your energy to that place. It also means your attention directs the Law of Attraction’s energy. If your focus is on working on a task, then you make progress. Or if you’re focusing on a desire, the Law of Attraction knows what to draw to you. But if your attention is scattered, then your energy is, as well, and not much gets accomplished. And the Law of Attraction can’t function. Multitasking is a notorious offender that fragments your energy and efficiency.

When your attention is scattered, then you’re dispersing your energy and giving the Universe conflicting feedback. The Law of Attraction won’t know what you want. Your focus lets the Law of Attraction know your desire and gives the Universe a mold to fulfill.

Too many people think that being mindlessly busy means they’re achieving something. They jump into action before they know what they want to accomplish. Instead of remembering they’re a human BEing, they’re a human DOing in thoughtless motion, and their efforts are mostly wasted. To be more successful, stop, breathe and decide where you want to spend your energy, so you’re a conduit for Universal good.

Concentrate Your Energy

Peter Drucker said, “If there is any one ‘secret’ of effectiveness, it is concentration.” When you focus your efforts, doing one thing at a time, you’re able to reach your goals. Your success, personally and professionally, depends on where you put your attention and your energy.

Have you ever wanted to clear off your desk, picked up a book to take it into the other room, and started organizing the bookshelf there? Then, you carried a dirty cup from the bookshelf to the kitchen and decided to do the dishes? But, in the middle of washing dishes, the phone rang and you talked on it for an hour? Because you jumped from one activity to the next, nothing was finished. You didn’t attend to your original intention, which was to put your desk in order, and you’ve wasted a lot of time and energy.

The same is true when you skip from one desire to another. This confuses the Universe, and the Law of Attraction will then manifest whatever is your strongest, most familiar idea. When you regulate your thoughts and actions, you support your energy and are more in the flow of the Universe.

Direct Your Attention

When you’re able to direct your attention where you want, not only does it increase your effectiveness, but it also builds confidence and self-mastery. It’s a skill that you can develop and will pay rich dividends in your life. It allows you to have a clearer channel to the Universe and the Law of Attraction. Here are a few areas that will empower your ability to guide your energy.

Manage Your Mind. Train yourself to think more positively by considering the best outcome. When you do, you grow brain cells for greater well being and it also instructs your mind to be open to more options. You make it easier for the Universe to create more good for you. Meditation and mindfulness also help in this area by building grey matter in your brain, which improves memory, mood, compassion and focus. Using these techniques teaches your mind to stay on track, and frees you to be clearer.

Manage Your Impulses. One way to practice this is to delay gratification or resist urges. For instance, don’t check your cell phone every 5 minutes, eat that entire piece of cake, or scroll through social media. Become aware of your triggers, and plan your response. When you’re able to regulate your compulsions, you build self-control, self-discipline, strengthen your will power and make better decisions. Self-control gives your thoughts more power.

Manage Your Environment. Most distractions can be removed with some planning. Make your space more conducive to focusing on your task. For example, close the door and put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on it. Put your cell phone on “silent.” Say, “No,” to disrespect and being taken advantage of. By taking charge of the things that disrupt your flow and peace of mind, you define your boundaries and increase your self-worth.

Manage Your Attention. Decide on your priorities ahead of time. Take the most important one, and focus on that task for a set amount of time. This starts to build your ability to focus. Also, take some time to read a book, not your computer, tablet or phone. People tend to skim on technical devices and reading a physical book improves memory, concentration and comprehension.

Taking these small steps contributes to bigger ones. Each small step you take to build your ability to focus expands that capacity. Not only your attention, but your energy, becomes more effective and you achieve more flow and success in your life.

Affirmation:

I set an intention to begin each day with focus. The ability to focus is natural, and one that I can exercise and develop. As I do, I’m better able to direct my energy and give the Universe the channel through which Its energy will flow. I master my attention and guide it where it can accomplish my Highest Good.

Watch the accompanying video, Manage Your Priorities to Achieve Your Goals.

Relax Your Grip

June 4, 2024 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

After completing a garage sale, I wanted to find homes for some furniture that hadn’t sold. I approached resale shops in the area. Most didn’t take furniture, and if they did, they didn’t want any at this time. I tried donating them to various charities, but none of them wanted the furniture, either. I didn’t want to have to spend several hundred dollars to have them hauled off to the dump, but that was looking likely. The more time and effort I spent on trying to find a solution, the more I was blocked. The frustration and stress built to a point that I had to let go of seeking an answer for awhile.

Keep Knocking, but Don’t Force

It’s a good thing to be persistent, to keep knocking on door. This shows your subconscious that you really mean business, and that you want to make changes. However, when you start to shake the doorknob, or take an axe to the door, maybe it’s time to let the issue rest for awhile. When you try to force the Universe to manifest the solution “NOW!”, that means you’re trying to control the outcome. And that, in itself, will create a block. The secret to solving a problem is to focus on the end result, not on how you think it should be done.

The harder you try to fix the problem, the more solid and stubborn it will become. There’s an old saying, “You can’t push the river.” When you use your willpower to try to force your way through an issue, it’s like all the energy is going into creating more of a block. The frustration, anxiety, and irritation just tells the subconscious that you want more of the challenge. When the conscious mind is fully engaged with your churned up emotions, the subconscious doesn’t have the energy to find the solution. The inner mind senses the emotions focused on the issue instead of its solution, and delivers more challenges.

What to Do When Nothing Is Working

Sometimes, you just have to walk away from it. Let the energy dissipate, so the subconscious can use its creativity to actually work on a solution. Put your attention on something else. As a friend of mine says, “Change the energy. Go have some ice cream.” Take a walk, play, work on another project. Take a break from trying to force the issue. Shift the energy from aggravation to enjoyment or accomplishment. When you do, the subconscious then has the energy available to find a solution.

A few hours after I let go of my problem with the furniture, I received a phone call from someone who was willing to take the furniture for a nominal fee. One of the places I’d contacted had given him my name. I was delighted that the pieces would continue to be of service, and that my problem was solved. Once again, I was shown that the best way to solve a problem was to relax my grip on it.

Affirmation:

I know there is a solution to my problem. My subconscious mind is very creative, and knows what to do and how to do it to find an agreeable solution. I now let go of the issue, relaxing my grip on it, and do something enjoyable. By releasing the problem to my subconscious mind, I funnel positive energy into its creativity. Drawing its power and wisdom from the Universe, my creative mind now resolves the problem in Divine Order.

Empowering Your Mind

Mindset, Motivation and Empowerment

Browsed by
Tag: willpower

Overcome the Law of Reversed Effort, Part 1

July 2, 2026 Linda-Ann Stewart Comments 0 Comment

3 Powerful Ingredients for Success

October 3, 2024 Linda-Ann Stewart

Use Your Won’t Power to Strengthen Your Willpower

September 18, 2024 Linda-Ann Stewart

Develop Self-Mastery by Managing Your Attention

August 7, 2024 Linda-Ann Stewart

Relax Your Grip

June 4, 2024 Linda-Ann Stewart