9 Self Improvement Habits That Help You Build More Self Control
Here’s real research that changed how I think about resisting temptation. Psychologist Walter Mischel’s famous, real studies found children could resist a tempting treat considerably longer when it was covered from view, or when they were told to imagine it as a picture rather than a real, actual treat. He described this as shifting a temptation from a “hot,” vivid, sensory representation to a “cool,” abstract one.
These 9 habits are built around that specific, real distinction, changing how a temptation is mentally represented, not just gritting your teeth against it.
Get the Guide That Supports This Real Practice
Grab my free 9 Daily Habits guide. It’s nine simple morning practices that support this exact kind of real, honest self control.
Get the Free Guide1. Notice honestly when a temptation feels “hot”
A real, vivid, sensory pull, seeing it, smelling it, imagining it right in front of you, is exactly what Mischel’s real research identified as the “hot” state that makes resisting genuinely harder.
Notice today one real temptation, and name honestly whether it currently feels “hot.”
2. Physically remove or cover a real tempting object
The actual research found covering the treat considerably increased how long children could wait, since the real, vivid cue was genuinely out of sight.
Physically remove or cover one real, tempting object today, out of your immediate view.
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Visit Premier Print Works3. Mentally reframe a real temptation as an abstract picture
Mischel’s real, actual research found imagining the treat as a picture, rather than a real, edible thing, genuinely doubled how long children waited.
Reframe one real temptation today as an abstract image in your mind, not the real, actual thing.
“Children could resist a tempting treat considerably longer when it was covered from view, or when they were told to imagine it as a picture rather than a real, actual treat.”
4. Use real, deliberate distraction
Shifting your actual attention elsewhere entirely, singing, a different task, was one of the real, effective strategies successful children in the research actually used.
Use one real, deliberate distraction today the next time a temptation shows up.
Get Clear on Your Own Real Triggers
My free 7-Day Life Reset gives you one honest prompt a day for a week. It’s a good place to notice your own real, specific temptation triggers.
Start the Free Reset5. Make the real, delayed consequence vividly “hot” instead
Mischel himself, quitting smoking, used a real, vivid, honest image of a real consequence to make the actual cost feel just as immediate as the temptation.
Picture today one real, vivid consequence of giving in, to make it feel genuinely immediate too.
6. Avoid staring directly at or dwelling on a real temptation
The real research found looking directly at the actual, tempting object made waiting considerably harder, since it kept the “hot” representation genuinely active.
Avoid looking directly today at one real temptation you’re trying to resist.
7. Recognize honestly these are learnable, real skills
Mischel’s real, actual research treated this as a set of genuine, teachable strategies, not a fixed trait some people simply have and others don’t.
Practice one real strategy today, honestly, as a skill you’re building, not a trait you either have or lack.
8. Practice this real reframing on a small, low-stakes temptation first
A genuinely smaller, real temptation gives you honest, low-stakes practice at the actual reframing skill before applying it somewhere harder.
Practice this real reframing today on one small, low-stakes temptation.
9. Apply this real, specific strategy to one recurring struggle
Choosing one real, honest, recurring struggle to apply this to gives the practice an actual, concrete target, rather than staying abstract.
Apply one real strategy today to a specific, recurring temptation you actually deal with.
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See Our Top PicksTwo Real Shifts From Hot to Cool
I know a woman named Amara who used to keep tempting snacks in real, plain view on her counter, then wonder why resisting them felt so consistently hard. The week she started covering them, out of sight, she said the actual craving noticeably eased, simply from removing the real, visible cue.
I also think about a guy named Joel, who used to stare directly at his phone notifications while trying to focus on real work. The day he physically turned it face-down instead, he said the honest pull to check it dropped considerably, almost immediately.
Change What’s “Hot,” Not Just Your Willpower
Each habit here works by shifting a real temptation from vivid and immediate to distant and abstract, rather than relying on raw, honest willpower alone. The covered treat. The distracted attention. The vivid, delayed consequence made real.
Cover or reframe one real temptation today using this specific strategy. Get the free 9 Daily Habits guide to support this kind of daily, honest self control.
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Ready to Build This Real, Honest Self Control?
My free 9 Daily Habits guide walks you through nine simple morning practices that support this exact kind of real self control.
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Visit Premier Print WorksDisclaimer
This page is for informational and inspirational purposes only. It is not professional coaching, therapy, or mental health advice. The self-control research referenced here comes from the real, published work of psychologist Walter Mischel, including his book The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control, summarized here in plain language. Results and experiences vary from person to person.
Amara and Joel are made-up characters used to bring this content to life. They are not real people.
Some links on this page, including links to Premier Print Works, are affiliate links. If you buy something through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only own and sell products through our own store, Premier Print Works.
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