People who rely on sheer willpower to help them lose weight, stop smoking, or beat other addictions more often than not end up giving in to temptation, and now new research may help explain why.

The study found that people tend to overestimate their ability to resist strong urges, and that those who are most confident about their willpower are most likely to lose it.

Rather than rely on self-control in situations where temptations arise, the best way to stay in control is to avoid those situations altogether

Why Willpower Often Fails.