1. The planning level.
2. Execution level.

Common sense dictates that a strong willpower involves sticking to the decision taken at the planning level. A Bollywoood star,  in one of his movies, uses this dialogue  “once I have made up my mind, I don’t even listen to myself”.  This may be a display of his willpower.

In my opinion willingness, openness and having an ability to accept or make changes at the last minute is also a sign of mental strength, and one’s inability to cope with the last minute changes would be a sign of mental weakness. I say to people – be open to last minute changes and don’t complain if someone make last minute changes, within reasonable limits, as on most occasions they are for betterment. Some brilliant ideas come to the mind only at the last minute as the mind is properly focused on the task nearer the execution time, there is an emotional investment and intensity of attention. Putting aside that last minute insight in order to execute one’s planned decision and willpower would be foolishness. I have also noticed that my lectures and presentations are a lot better if I keep revising my presentation slides until the morning of my presentation.  However, there is also a risk that this willingness to make last minute changes can weaken our will power.

The decisions taken at the planning level are often amended at the execution level. Sometimes decision taken at the planning level are more sensible and appropriate than the decision taken at the last minute.

If the decision taken at the planning level was done with an equanimous mind and adequate information/ground work then it should not be amended at the execution level. But if the decision taken at the point of planning was not done with an equanimous mind and with adequate information on hand, then this decision should be altered at the point of execution as more information becomes available later on.

It is therefore important to reflect for a moment at the point of execution of an action if a change in the decision was made. We need to ask ourselves what is leading to this change of mind at the last minute, has any additional information become available now and what are the consequences if we don’t stick to the plan. And once it becomes clear that the earlier decision was well thought through then one must exercise one’s willpower to stick to the plan, as our body and the mind have a tendency to slip/stay into their comfort zones.