Willpower Doesn't Work

March 1, 2018

Willpower doesn't work, claims psychologist Hardy, because internalized goals aren't strong enough to achieve real change and one's environment often contributes to counterproductive behavior. The key, says Hardy, is to shape external inputs, such as information consumed, relationships, frequently visited places, and experiences. Hardy further instructs readers to "force functions," including leaving the phone in the car if the goal is to spend quality time with friends and family. Essentially, he advocates finding a power higher than oneself and outsourcing willpower to goal-enriching surroundings. VERDICT A welcome prescription for those striving to overcome challenges and realize their aspirations.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The author's personable writing and intuitive ideas more than compensate for his less-than-optimal vocal tone and slightly mechanical phrasing. Yet his narration also has a seductive energy that builds as his ideas unfold, drawing listeners into his optimism as well as his thinking. The paradoxical hook in Hardy's message is that when we accept that our surroundings have enormous control over our daily activities, we acquire the potential to have more power over how we live and what we achieve. The trick, he says, is not just managing external influences (friends, physical triggers, pernicious routines) but creating radically new influences that push us to become better versions of ourselves. These rationales and suggestions will light a fire in people who have unwittingly ceded too much influence to people and circumstances around them. T.W. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine