Article from NY Times | Article date: January 5, 2012

REWARD OFTEN. If you use willpower only to deny yourself pleasures, it becomes a grim, thankless form of defense. But when you use it to gain something, you can wring pleasure out of the dreariest tasks. Young people who seem hopelessly undisciplined in school or on the job will concentrate for hour after hour on video games because there's a steady series of prizes. That's the feeling to aim for in the real world.

If you quit smoking, earmark some of the savings for expensive meals. If your waistline shrinks, splurge on new clothes. One new exercise monitor, the Striiv, will make donations to charity based on how many steps you take. Other gadgets and apps will award points or trophies. Even the tiniest and silliest rewards can make a difference. If you want your willpower to last all year, every little bit helps.

The Findings columnist for Science Times and co-author, with Roy F. Baumeister, of "Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength."

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