People's incessant struggles to exercise self-control have been hindered by their misconceptions about its nature. Self-control is viewed here as a complex behavior--i.e., as a sequence of specific acts influenced by conditions both internal and external to the person. A person can exercise self-control when he has learned how to manage these internal and external conditions. Three general strategies by which people can learn and use self-control (or self-management) skills are explained and illustrated: self-observation, environmental planning, and manipulation of the consequences of behavior by self-administered techniques. The results of the few studies conducted to date indicate that all three strategies can be effective and that at least one of them is present in all successful attempts at self-control. (BW)