How to Quit Almost Anything

The innovative design team at Epipheo created a quirky 3-minute video explaining the neuroscience of the three powers that make-up willpower: what I call "I will" power, "I won't" power, and "I want" power.

Although my Science of Willpower students liked the surprise appearance from a bong the most, what I especially love about this video is the relationship they illustrate between the conflicting "selves" (your impulsive self, and your wiser self). You'll have to watch the video to see the final resolution, but let's just say it reflects well the idea that to gain greater self-control, you need to find a way to accept and integrate all versions of yourself, even the parts you'd like to change.

Kelly McGonigal is a psychologist at Stanford University. Her latest book is The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It. She is also the author of The Neuroscience of Change and Yoga for Pain Relief.

Follow Kelly on Twitter: http://twitter.com/kellymcgonigal or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kellymcgonigalauthor