"The Stanford psychologist who turned her popular willpower course into science-backed strategies for self-control."
Kelly McGonigal is an American health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University whose book "The Willpower Instinct" turned her popular Stanford course on the science of self-control into a bestselling guide for the general public. Drawing on research from psychology, neuroscience, and medicine, McGonigal challenged the common view of willpower as a simple test of character, instead framing it as a trainable set of skills for managing competing impulses—self-awareness, self-care, and staying connected to what matters most. "The Willpower Instinct," published in 2011, became a foundational text in the growing field of behavior change, translating rigorous research on temptation, stress, and self-control into practical strategies readers could apply immediately.
Our in-depth summaries and reviews of his work
Science-backed strategies to strengthen your self-control. Kelly McGonigal reveals how willpower works like a muscle and gives you 10 weeks of exercises…
Read Summary →McGonigal identifies self-awareness, self-care, and remembering what matters most as the antidotes to the forces that most reliably erode self-control.
Across the research she reviews, the ability to notice an impulse before acting on it emerges as the single strongest predictor of successful self-regulation.
McGonigal frames meditation not as eliminating thoughts but as practicing the return of attention, a skill that directly strengthens self-control over time.
"The biggest enemies of willpower: temptation, self-criticism, and stress. These three skills—self-awareness, self-care, and remembering what matters most—are the foundation for self-control."— The Willpower Instinct
"Meditation is not about getting rid of all your thoughts; it's learning not to get so lost in them that you forget what your goal is."— The Willpower Instinct
"When your mind is preoccupied, your impulses—not your long-term goals—will guide your choices."— The Willpower Instinct
"A short practice that you do every day is better than a long practice you keep putting off to tomorrow."— The Willpower Instinct
Science-backed strategies to strengthen your self-control. Kelly McGonigal reveals how willpower works like a muscle and gives you 10 weeks of exercises to train it.
