Supporting a choice before the difficult moment

Self-control is often imagined as resisting a temptation through force of will. That is one possible part of it, but choices can also be supported before the tempting moment arrives.

Self-control involves guiding a response when an immediate impulse conflicts with a goal you want to follow. It can include pausing, changing the environment, making a plan, or choosing a situation in which the preferred action is easier.

The goal is not to make every action effortful. It is to create a workable relationship between the intention and the conditions in which you need to act.