Making yourself do something, or stopping yourself from acting a certain way - which is easier?

For me, it is definitely the latter. I can talk myself out of nasty responses when angry, for the most part. I can stop myself from buying unnecessary chocolate bars or frantically tapping at the keyboard when my computer is acting up.

It would seem that I have a lot of self-discipline.

However…what I can’t do is talk myself into good decisions. I can’t get myself to clean my house or get some exercise unless I feel motivated to do so, for example. Luckily, I do feel motivated to do both regularly.

What about you?