The Inevitability Mindset: How to Achieve Anything You Want Without Willpower

Note: This article is based on Thanh Pham, founder of Asianefficiency, who tells us about his experience of how to achieve things without the need for willpower.

It is neither a fancy technology nor an innovative trick; It is only a slight change in the way of thinking. I learned this technique from my mentor, and he calls it "The Inevitability Mindset."

The Weakest link

The Inevitability mindset allows you to come up with systematic solutions that will help you achieve whatever you want without relying on willpower. I really think this feature makes you very efficient. This is because you benefit from a system that does not depend on you.

Let me explain. Within any system, the human element is always the weakest link. This is because we are complex creatures. We have feelings, we have mood swings, and we have limited willpower.

When you don't feel well, your strength and will to do important things diminish. When you are stressed, you destroy your willpower more than usual, and when you have some relationship problems in your life, your willpower is almost nonexistent.

When our willpower wanes, things get worse, and our negative thoughts, habits, and behaviors return to their previous state. And this is exactly why I always prefer systemic solutions to any solution that relies on willpower or sheer force. Systematic solutions are consistent, but people are not.

When you can get the human element out of a process or system, you reduce the chances of errors, or, in other words, you increase the chance of getting what you're looking for.

Real-life examples

What the inevitability mindset does is force thinking in a way that ignores the human element of the process. Instead of thinking, "How can I consistently get this result?" Willpower says, “How can I be in a situation where this is bound to happen?”

I don't always trust myself to make the right decision, especially when I'm tired or not in a good mood. However, if I am always in a position to do the right thing, to the point where doing the right thing is inevitable, I will do it.

The idea is to put yourself in a situation where doing the right thing is inevitable. Another way to think about this is that external forces always push me to do the right thing.

In the “Ten Mindsets for Productivity” blog, I talked about the personal productivity ecosystem. When you design your own environment and ecosystem for productivity, you can't help but be productive.

If you live in a city you love where the weather is always great, you are surrounded by all the tools to help you be more productive, your partner inspires you, and you love what you do, being productive is inevitable. All of these external forces put you in a position where it is imperative that you get things done.

You don't depend on yourself, your willpower, or your mood to get things done. In your case, there is only one way, and that is to move on. Whether it's making a decision, learning a new habit, maintaining a habit, or getting things done, this mindset directs you to do the right thing.

A personal example is when I got into the habit of flossing my teeth. I was never really commited with flossing every day. This is because I always forgot to do this after brushing my teeth. So I started thinking, "How can I make flossing after brushing inevitable?"

The answer is actually pretty easy: I put the floss next to where I always put my toothbrush. Every time I finished brushing my teeth, I put it where I used to put the floss, and I would see it and it would remind me to start brushing with it. I didn't have to memorize anything, and I didn't have to use any willpower. There was a commitment, and it was inevitable.

Another personal example is when I changed my diet to healthy eating. Back in the day, my fridge was stocked with frozen pizza, leftover takeout, and the like.

When your fridge is full of food, it is inevitable that you will eat what is in it. Especially when you are really hungry you will eat whatever is available. So, the easy universal solution is to not keep junk food in your fridge. I've changed grocery stores, replaced healthy meals with junk food all together, and it's not a problem for me anymore.

Now when I feel hungry, it is imperative that I eat the healthy foods that are waiting for me. Again, I do not rely on willpower to make the right decision. But I don't have any other alternatives but to eat healthy foods.

You can apply this deterministic mindset to any habit that you want to form or any of the systems that you want to maintain.

For example:

• If you want to stick to a habit like meditating, taking supplements, writing a journal, etc. Every day, create strategic reminders on your calendar.
• If you want to quit smoking, don't meet other smokers.
• If you want to get into the habit of drinking water every morning, fill a bottle of water the night before and put it next to your bed.
• If you want to get more exercise, go closer to the gym, or buy equipment you use at home.
• If you want to be more productive, get a Mac. You can't play great games on it.
• If you want a problem-free life, find the right romantic partner.
• If you want to always be on time, set an automatic alarm for all your calendar events, and it will alert you two hours in advance.
• If you want to get into the habit of running every morning, sleep in your gym clothes and put your running shoes next to your bed.

The possibilities are endless. So, start thinking about the systemic solutions to the deterministic mindset, and how you can make it imperative to make the right decision.