Just like your muscle tissue, power weakens from lack of use and grows stronger when exercised. The more you train your power, the more powerful you become.

Everyone has some power, but not everyone develops it to the same degree. Here are some methods to train yourself to become more powerful.

Progressive Training
A good way to build power and especially self-discipline is to progressively train yourself to tackle bigger challenges. When you train your muscles, you lift weights that are within your ability. You push your muscles until they fail, and then you rest. Similarly, you can develop your power by taking on challenges that you can successfully accomplish but that push you close to your limits. This doesn’t mean trying something that’s beyond your strength and failing at it repeatedly, nor does it mean playing it safe and staying within your comfort zone. You must tackle challenges that are within your current ability to handle but which are close to your limit.

The whole idea of self-improvement and personal development hinges on a desire to become better in some way in order to get what you want. It is easy to recognize that your life is not how you want it to be; perhaps you want financial freedom, relationships that are more rewarding or a successful career. Whatever the dream, many people believe the first step in allowing it to manifest in your life is working out what changes need to be made.

There is, however, a crucial step which many people overlook. How can you make changes without first knowing yourself well enough to recognize where you are going wrong? The phrase ‘getting to know yourself’ is a tricky one. What exactly does it mean to ‘know yourself’? Surely, everyone knows himself or herself?

It started innocently enough.  I’d been working longer hours, spending more time at the computer, eating the wrong stuff on the run and not taking the time to exercise.  When I called my best friend and told him I was certain someone was shrinking my underpants in the middle of the night, I finally faced the fact that I had to do something about it.  I had gained weight and it was no longer something I could ignore.

Maybe some of you can relate to this.

I have a confession: When I go to a bookstore, I like hanging out in the self-help section. I don’t know if it’s because I think I’ll find a book that will solve all my problems, or if seeing all the books on problems I don’t have makes me feel better about myself. But whatever it is, I keep going back.

On recent visits, I’ve noticed a trend: The market has been glutted by books promising the secrets to happiness. That might not seem new (isn’t happiness the point of the entire section?), but these aren’t touchy-feely self-help titles - they’re books by scientific researchers, who claim to offer prescriptions based on rigorous empirical research. It’s all part of the “positive psychology” movement that has spilled out of academic journals and into best-selling books, popular magazine articles, and even school curricula.