Why willpower doesn’t work

That’s the promise—and the challenge—of this conversation with psychologist Simon Matthews, author of the article “You Don’t Need More Willpower.” So many of us assume growth is about discipline: pushing harder, resisting temptation, forcing better habits. But what if that mindset is the very reason you keep getting stuck? In this episode we explore why willpower fails, what actually drives lasting change, and how faith reshapes the way we understand transformation. Simon's article | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | X (00:00) - – Intro (01:25) - – New Years failures and why they fail (11:51) - – Old ideas of "self-control" and virtue (13:50) - – Is willpower just a fake construct? (18:54) - -- Is everyone just better than me? (20:37) - – Alexander the Great, Augustus (26:54) - – So should I just be lazy? (29:28) - – Needs & values (39:30) - – Habit-building (44:36) - -- Your environment matters (49:38) - -- A healthier question than "why don't I have better willpower?" (53:39) - – Final Takeaways