Self-knowledge, especially of how we find ourselves in willpower trouble, is the foundation of
self-control. This is why both "The Science of Willpower" course and this book focus on the most
common willpower mistakes we all make. Each chapter dispels a common misconception about
self-control and gives you a new way to think about your willpower challenges. For every willpower
mistake, we'll conduct a kind of autopsy: When we give in to temptation or put off what we know we
should do, what leads to our downfall? What is the fatal error, and why do we make it?
Most important, we will look for the opportunity to save our future selves from the fate.
How can we turn the knowledge of how we fail into strategies for success? At the very least,
by the time you finish the book, you will have a better understanding of your own imperfect but
perfectly human behavior. One thing the science of willpower makes clear is that everyone struggles
in some way with temptation, addiction, distraction, and procrastination. These are not individual
weaknesses that reveal our personal inadequacies. They are universal experiences and part of the
human condition. If this book did nothing else but help you see the common humanity of your
willpower struggles, I would be happy. But I hope that it will do far more, and that the strategies
in this book will empower you to make real and lasting changes in your life.