We all know that getting and staying motivated can be an impossible task!

But scientists now know how we can better control our willpower.  And it's not as hard as you might think!

The anterior mid-cingulate cortex (AMCC) is a part of the brain that involves functions such as attention, reward, decision-making, impulses and emotion. Scientists have been studying this part of the brain and believe it to be the centre of our willpower, our drive, and our tenacity. Some even call it the core of our will to live.

What is so interesting about this part of the brain is that it is subject to neuroplasticity - it can grow and shrink with use or lack thereof. It was found to be larger in athletes and smaller in people who are obese. That is not a statement about an obese person’s willpower but rather shines a light on some of the complexities that exist for us physically when trying to make life changing habits.

When we do something that we do not want to do (such as get up in the morning and go for a walk when we'd rather roll over and hit snooze), our AMCC is growing! And likewise, when we take the easy option and do not choose to push ourselves, our AMCC is shrinking!

Do something you hate every day.

The modern world is full of feel-good fluff – telling us to follow our dreams, do what makes us happy, and create more joy in our lives. But what if to achieve those things, we actually need to incorporate some things that we hate to do every day? It’s pretty confronting but keep reading and I’ll explain why. You’ll want to know why if you want to experience more joy!

By doing something you hate every day, you are increasing the pleasure you experience when doing the things you enjoy. When we do things we do not like to do, we are creating better balance and expectations for ourselves about the things that we like in our lives. And we are proving to ourselves that we can do hard things.

This knowledge can act to give us that little bit of a push to decide to do something we don't really want to do or to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone. And every time you push yourself, you are strengthening your willpower and resolve. In doing so, you will be more resilient and better equipped to get the most out of every situation in your life.

But what if we just can't summon the willpower to do something that we know we really want to do for our health or happiness?

I have three tips to help you:

3 ways to get started when you just don't want to.

1. Do something else that you don't want to do but can make yourself do. Sometimes the act of achieving something and doing something is enough to shift your energy and you can find that bit of resolve to do the original act. It might be something as simple as making your bed.

2. Break it down into tiny steps and just do the first step. Overwhelm can strike anyone at any time and when we are faced with a task that we don’t want to do, it’s easy to let the enormity of something make it feel impossible. By doing a tiny first step, you are proving to yourself that you can in fact do it. You are having success one small step at a time. And the dopamine hit that you get with that tiny success, helps to drive you forward to do the next step.

3. Think about why you want to do that thing rather than the act itself. If you remember what you want to achieve by the act, it might just enable you to generate the willpower to get it done. This can be particularly useful if you have a dream of getting into an outfit for a special occasion or building some strength or fitness for a particular event. And sometimes this can work in reverse too - if you want to get fit, sign yourself up for something big, hairy and audacious, and tell people about it! It’s a great motivator to get out and do the hard work when you know you have a deadline looming.

Your resilience, willpower and resolve are within your control.