Self-mastery and self-regulation – 18

The stages of the act of will

We can divide the different stages of the act of will two main phases:

  • Introspective phase (stages 1-5): concerned with choosing the goal and internal action.
  • Dynamic phase (stage 6): concerned with directing execution, that is, coordinating the psychic functions toward concrete action.

First phase: introspective stages

  1. Formulation of the goal:
    The volitional act is distinguished by having a clear goal. Choosing a goal involves evaluating it based on one’s values and life conception, which are often not fully conscious. Clarifying one’s position toward oneself, others, and the world is therefore crucial. Evaluation generates the intention to pursue the goal and the motives that support it. It is also important to recognize unconscious motives without repressing them, as the will can use them effectively.
  2. Deliberation:
    Various possibilities for achieving the goal are considered and weighed, assessing their feasibility, priority, and consistency with one’s life plan. Goals may be multiple or achievable in different ways, so it is necessary to decide which goal or method to prioritize.
  3. Decision:
    One must set a goal, assuming responsibility for the choice. Psychosynthesis replaces the negative term “renunciation” with the positive concept of “preference.” Decision implies freedom and responsibility.
  4. Affirmation:
    The chosen goal must be kept in consciousness, nourished by emotion and desire, while facing discouragements and internal resistances. It becomes a magnet that directs creative and dynamic energies, fostering confidence, courage, and audacity.
  5. Planning:
    This stage concludes the introspective phase: the goal is clear, evaluated, and decided upon. Now one must identify the most effective means to achieve it, balancing attention between the final goal, intermediate steps, and concrete action (trifocal vision). Planning also considers timing, collaborations, and external conditions.

Second phase: dynamic stage

  1. Direction of execution:
    The will’s main function is to direct action rather than perform it directly. It makes skillful use of thought, imagination, sensations, intuition, feelings, impulses, and physical capacities, while continuously supervising execution.

As Assagioli observes, these six stages are like the links of a chain: the effectiveness of a single act of will depends on how well each stage is carried out.

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