When in doubt, look to the caveman to gain insight as to why we do what we do. Our ancestral make-up is exceptionally resilient and unchanging and yet our modern world is terribly ill-suited to these ancient behaviors that were…
Imagine a man with arms like an albatross swinging a pair of scissors at you, then cornering you in a room with his wheelchair. That happened to me once when I was working with "Edward", a brain injured man. And…
Anyone who has been following my Tweets today will surely see how enthralled I am with the book, Top Dog,The Science of Winning and Losing by Po Bronson. I am only part way through it, but I have already had several insights…
The notion of describing and revisiting the future self as a way to achieve goals is well known and a cornerstone of effective coaching practice. However, what human tendency are we counteracting when we call on the future self to…
Making your goals easier to reach can be enhanced by keeping a few principles in mind. In a recent seminar on forming new behaviors, Dr. George F. Koob stated that, "Trying not to do something will make you constantly think…
Willpower actually has three faces, according to Kelly Mc Gonigal, author of the Willpower Instinct. There is "I Will Power", "I Won't Power" and "I Want Power." Every willpower challenge requires doing something difficult, or taking a path that is…
Yesterday, I attended a day long seminar on memory. Professor Craig E. L. Stark, an engaging and immensely knowledgeable presenter, packed in an incredible amount of information into that time period. It is regrettable that it was only 6 hours…
The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal is a step-by-step program for setting goals, improving self-control, and making lasting changes. As a life coach and formerly as a speech pathologist working with brain injured individuals, I have had ample experience observing…
If you were to look in a thesaurus, you would probably find the words spontaneity and impulsivity listed as synonyms for each other. Both states are unplanned,unconstrained, and governed by natural impulses. To be impulsive or spontaneous is to be flexible, able to bend in a new direction at a moment’s notice. However, they really aren’t the same when examined more closely. Impulsivity is actually the evil twin of spontanaeity.
It’s a sunny day and your best friend calls you in the morning to see if you can take the day off to go on a picnic. If you’re spontaneous, you consider the offer, take stock of what work is mission critical, and decide if your co-workers can cover for you. If all of these variables check out, then you clear it with your boss and you enjoy the day. On the other hand, if you are impulsive, you say “yes” immediately, call in sick, and head off for a day of fun giving no consideration to the long range consequences or who is affected by your actions, including yourself.
Impulsivity is seldom a good thing. It is one of the variables that lead people toward high risk behavior. It sabotages follow-through and leaves good ideas unfinished. It is rash, erratic, and unpredictable. It is frequently present in individuals who have had damage to the pre-frontal cortex area of the brain by way of head injury or stroke. However even without a neurological event, impulsivity is commonly seen in children, adolescents and many adults. There are impulsive shoppers (compulsive shoppers are driven by a different psychological force), people who say whatever comes to mind, or those who find it difficult to stay on task when a new possibility presents itself . Just because one has reached a certain age does not guarantee that impulse control has been mastered. Impulse control takes physical maturity, self-awareness, and often strategies to bring it under control. The brain develops in response to the demands one places upon it. For some, this is requires great effort but the pay-off is well worth it.