John Tierney

Authors of bestselling book, Willpower.

John Tierney always wanted to be a scientist but went into journalism because its peer-review process was a great deal easier to sneak through. Now a columnist for the Science Times section, Tierney previously wrote columns for the Op-Ed page, the Metro section and the Times Magazine. Before that he covered science for magazines like Discover, Hippocrates and Science 86.

PhilosophersNotes on John Tierney's Books All PhilosophersNotes

Willpower

Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength

by Roy Baumeister, John Tierney

Willpower. It’s ESSENTIAL to optimizing our lives. In fact, in their *great* book, Willpower, Roy Baumeister (one of the world’s leading scientific researchers on self-control) and John Tierney (science writer for the New York Times) tell us that “Improving willpower is the surest way to a better life.” In this Note, we’ll learn how to eat our way to willpower (seriously), how to exercise our self-control muscles, why “precommitment” is so important and how to win the willpower game with bright lines and a great offense. :)

Packs:

Conquering Digital Addiction & Self-Care & Willpower

+1s Inspired by John Tierney All +1s

Bright Lines
#45

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now

How to Make Good Contracts with Yourself

I dropped out of law school before a semester was over but I do remember one Big Idea from Contracts class. Lawyers like to say that a contract is a good one when there are “bright lines”—when it’s super obvious what everyone is agreeing to. Fuzzy lines? Not so good. We want su...

+1 inspired by Note: Willpower

Packs:

Habits & Willpower

Choice commitment Consistency Mind persistence Practice success undisciplined

Want Willpower: Play Offense not Defense
#138

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now

How to Win the Willpower World Series

Most of us wonder how we can have more willpower in those moments of temptation. But Roy Baumeister—the world’s leading expert on willpower, and one of the most cited social psychologists on the planet—tells us that the people who use their willpower the most wisely don’t actually use i...

+1 inspired by Note: Willpower

Packs:

Habits & Willpower

Energy Mind Systems

Precommitment
#155

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now

Making Contracts with Odysseus + Ourselves

In our last +1, we talked about the power of recommitting. You make a big commitment, then you fall a little off track. No big deal, REcommit and continue on. Today, we’re going to add a little letter to recommitment. It’s a “P.” We’ll drop it in right at the beginning...

+1 inspired by Note: Willpower

Packs:

Confidence & Willpower

challenges commitment Discipline Inspiration Mind science Strategy

Sirens
#156

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now

What Song Do They Sing to YOU?

In our last +1 we talked about Odysseus and his contract with himself as he navigated past the Sirens. As we discussed, willpower scientists tell us that precommitments are where it’s at. Again: Play OFFENSE with your willpower rather than DEFENSE. Install habits that run on autopilot rathe...

+1 inspired by Note: Willpower

Packs:

Confidence & Willpower

challenges commitment Discipline Fundamentals Mind tool

IQ vs. Willpower
#607

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now

One Is a Much Better Predictor than the Other

In our last +1, we talked about the awesome CEO-dads (and Harvard interns!) who are committed to mastering their Love as much as their Work. (Inspiring!!!) One of the things that triggered the CEO-dad’s question was the fact that I emphasized the importance of our

+1 inspired by Note: Willpower

Packs:

Learning & Willpower

algorithms big-three Discipline Learning Mind productivity The Big 3 willpower

Running Your Willpower Offense
#608

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now

Strategic Considerations + Odysseus Contracts

In our last +1, we talked about the fact that willpower outpredicts IQ by a factor of TWO for academic performance. Today I want to revisit the fact that the best willpower exemplars among us play OFFENSE with their willpower NOT defense. In other words, they don’t use their precious w...

+1 inspired by Note: Willpower

Packs:

Habits & Willpower

commitment Discipline Habits Mind productivity Strategy willpower

Sign In Forgot your password?

No problem!

John Tierney

Authors of bestselling book, Willpower.

PhilosophersNotes on John Tierney's Books All PhilosophersNotes

Packs:

+1s Inspired by John Tierney All +1s

Bright Lines #45 Get instant access to all +1's! Join nearly 10,000 members in the 1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge and start optimizing your life today. Join Now

Packs:

Want Willpower: Play Offense not Defense #138 Get instant access to all +1's! Join nearly 10,000 members in the 1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge and start optimizing your life today. Join Now

Packs:

Precommitment #155 Get instant access to all +1's! Join nearly 10,000 members in the 1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge and start optimizing your life today. Join Now

Packs:

Sirens #156 Get instant access to all +1's! Join nearly 10,000 members in the 1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge and start optimizing your life today. Join Now

Packs:

IQ vs. Willpower #607 Get instant access to all +1's! Join nearly 10,000 members in the 1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge and start optimizing your life today. Join Now

Packs:

Running Your Willpower Offense #608 Get instant access to all +1's! Join nearly 10,000 members in the 1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge and start optimizing your life today. Join Now

Packs:

Get 3 free PhilosophersNotes

This content is for members only!

Bright Lines
#45

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now

Want Willpower: Play Offense not Defense
#138

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now

Precommitment
#155

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now

Sirens
#156

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now

IQ vs. Willpower
#607

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now

Running Your Willpower Offense
#608

Get instant access to all +1's!

Join nearly 10,000 members in the
1,000-Day Epic Optimizing Challenge
and start optimizing your life today.

Join Now