In surveys, American adults have cited lack of willpower as the top barrier to changing behavior. Around the world, when adults have rated themselves on two dozen positive qualities, self-control has ranked dead last. Research also shows that exercising willpower feels pretty awful, whether you are resisting something fun or forcing yourself to do something unfun.
Research shows that achievement has surprisingly little to do with forcing yourself to choose wisely in the heat of the moment. Successful people rarely rely on inner fortitude to resist temptations. Instead, many exercise situational agency, arranging their lives to minimize the need for willpower in the first place.