“I only do what is easy. I only write when I immediately know how to do it, if I falter for a moment, I put the matter aside and do something else .” — Niklas Luhmann

“Before you try to increase your willpower, try to decrease the friction in your environment.” — James Clear

Avoid temptation rather than relying on willpower.

Design Your Environment Carefully

“Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.” — W. Clement Stone

Think about self-control less as the quality of a person and more as the quality of a place. There are some places and situations that lean toward lower self-control and others that lean toward higher self-control. Self-control is about your context as much as your character. Put yourself in good positions.

Never rely on strong willpower or overcoming resistance, but rather designing an environment that is flexible enough to avoid friction in the first place. Instead of struggling with adverse dynamics, highly productive people redirect obstacles, much like Judo champions do.

In the long-run (and often in the short-run), your willpower will never beat your environment. The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don’t swim upstream.

Try to use the least amount of willpower for self-control or self-discipline. Ask yourself the WHY instead.

Don’t rely solely on willpower to push through toward distant goals. Don’t just grit your teeth. If an activity doesn’t provide some immediate gratification, it’s hard to stay committed. Instead, try bundling your goals with enjoyable activities. Turning goal pursuit into something pleasurable is one of the most effective ways to make meaningful progress—and enjoy the journey along the way.