by Dani Shugart
Become a Willpower Machine
What if every challenge sparked excitement instead of dread? That shift is possible. The secret? It's all about growing a part of your brain. Here's how it works.
You have two choices in life: When faced with a hard situation or task, you can either attack it like a predator or run from it like prey.
It's all about perception and your anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC), the "grit center" of your brain. Imaging studies conducted by neuroscientists show that high achievers in any field have a more developed aMCC. If you train and nourish the aMCC, the things you dread and avoid become the things you conquer. And once you conquer them, they'll fuel you for more. Here's how to do it.
Know Your Noggin: The aMCC
Your aMCC is your BFF if you want to live like an adventurous-superhero-pirate-champion. It's the part of your brain that once told you, "Hey this weightlifting thing is tough, but I've got what it takes to get better."
The aMCC powers decision-making, self-control (like resisting temptation), motivation, cost-benefit analysis, motor skills, pain perception, and willpower. Together, they shape whether you'll pounce on life like a lion or cower like a newborn gazelle.
The aMCC won't just drive you to do challenging things, it'll grow because of doing them. As it bulks up, so does your willpower. It improves your ability to bounce back after failure (i.e. mental resilience) and it improves your performance under pressure. So, if you want to do anything cool in life, you need to be building it just as intentionally as any muscle.
How? Seek out uncomfortable, difficult, or intimidating activities. Doesn't matter what kind: physical, mental, or emotional. All of these are "resistance training" for the aMCC. Maybe the hardest thing for you is to not be a pushover. In that case, your aMCC might grow from using a single word: "No."
But Can You Build the aMCC if You're Already a Tough Guy?
There's some bad and good news for dedicated lifters.
First, the bad news: If you're a consistent lifter, simply adding more weight or using more reps won't be enough to build your aMCC. Even if you start doing really hard intensity techniques, it won't challenge your willpower the same way it did when you first began lifting.
The irony here is that everyone who gets in the gym should have the goal of making it routine. That takes a lot of discipline at first, but once you create a routine – even one that continually challenges you – you no longer need as much discipline. You might even become a person who needs to discipline yourself to take more recovery days.
Now, the good news: If you're a lifter, you'll look significantly better than everyone else when you try new things. And that matters. Oh, you're the new guy at the gun range? Who cares? Your guns are bigger than everyone else's, and you can bench the front desk guy. (I say this as a female who shoots and can bench the front desk guy.)
Novelty matters to neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is your brain's ability to respond and adapt to new environments, challenges, and forms of learning. But obviously, don't stop lifting just to restart again in the future. Even though your brain favors novelty, your physique still favors consistency.
So, to build your aMCC, challenge yourself in ways outside of your routine.
Ways to Build Your aMCC
Let's go through some examples:
- Physical – If you're a lifter, there are a thousand other types of activities you could do, like adventure races, martial arts, yoga, swimming, cold exposure, indecent exposure, or whatever else might make you uncomfortable. If your internal dialogue says, "This was a bad idea and I hate every minute of it" then it's working, and you should stick with it. Unless you get arrested.
- Mental – Learning anything will stretch your brain and build your aMCC. New games, languages, cooking techniques, instruments, arts and crafts, fishing, hunting, books you find boring, or handy skills can build your aMCC. Sure, games might seem too easy compared to the others, but depending on their complexity, it might not feel immediately fun or easy.
- Emotional – You could volunteer with legless cats or dedicate your time to something else that's emotionally taxing. There's also an emotional rollercoaster that comes along with putting your ego at risk. Just think of anything that can cause you to (potentially) embarrass yourself. And then do it. Get intentional about speaking to strangers (if you feel socially incompetent), start a podcast, take improv classes, try karaoke, open mic nights, or dance lessons. Remember though, the examples that don't intimidate you won't be enough to build your aMCC. If it takes courage and discipline, you're doing it right. If it's easy, your aMCC probably isn't growing.
Give Your aMCC the Advantage
If your brain is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), you may not have the drive to do anything beyond your boring life. These fats are known for reducing neuroinflammation and cortisol levels, which determine how well your aMCC works.
When your brain is inflamed (neuroinflammation), your perception of pain is elevated, you have a lower tolerance for any type of discomfort, all effort feels a lot harder, and you become easily irritated. Brain inflammation is kryptonite for your willpower and aMCC, but omega-3s fight it.
DHA in particular increases synaptic plasticity, which helps your brain work through high-effort tasks. DHA also increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which is like brain fertilizer. It helps neurons form new connections and enables you to learn faster, remember stuff, and adapt to challenges when you're under stress.
Finally, DHA supports membrane fluidity, which enhances the efficiency of neural signaling. Think of it as keeping the communication lines in the aMCC clear and fast. You'll want all of these mental advantages when you're learning new skills that build the aMCC.
Up to 80% of Americans are deficient in omega-3s. Building your aMCC will be tough if you're one of them, so take a DHA-forward fish oil supplement. Flameout DHA-Rich Fish Oil (Buy at Amazon) provides a whopping 2000 mg of DHA per serving, far more than generic fish oil supps. Take three softgels daily and go try something challenging.
