Why do some people give up so easily on goals which they have set out to accomplish? Well there could be something said for their lack of determination.
Failure is such an easy thing to succumb to because our society makes us believe we have to accomplish so much, yet we seldom are able to actually achieve things at a pace comfortable for us.
This is a big reason for a lack of confidence as well and the only things which can propel us beyond this thought process is will-power and determination to succeed at the task at hand.
The drive to be determined can be completely unrelated to success and everyone’s reason for it is different. Sometimes we have no choice but to tap into our inner-ability to bring out a willpower which is innate in us.
However, one thing is very sure and that is the legitimacy of the “power of determination” … when you’re determined there’s little that can stop you from achieving your desired results.
Why You Need To Be Determined
Determination is necessary for achieving the most challenging of obstacles. Without it, we become lazy and never accomplish anything.
It’s way too easy to just say “you know, this is too hard and/or it’s hopeless.” These poisonous words will counteract your ability to be determined because you’ve already accepted defeat.
The most successful people in the world are/were determined to get to where they currently are.
Now, that doesn’t mean you have to love what you’re doing because honestly there are undesirable aspects to any and every goal in life.
Heck… you can be determined and accomplish something that you absolutely hate!
That’s right! Determination is a versatile tool which can be used to get through any tough situation/s you may encounter.
It separates the men from the boys and requires a unique desire within.
Determination VS Motivation
Now these two words can go hand in hand but make no mistake, they are two different things and you must know the difference.
Determination can be defined in a few different ways:
- The will-power to accomplish something
- Having absolute purpose and firmness is the belief to achieve a goal
Motivation can be defined as:
- A reason to do something
- Utilizing an external source to create the desire to do something.
So, as you can see, the differences are evident, however the two can be synergistic in nature and both can be very useful.
The thing with motivation is many people rely on it in order to make a significant move, but motivation will not always be there; Which is why we have to make the decision to do something regardless of how we feel, and determination will take us the rest of the way.
Now, we can keep motivated by always remembering the desired end result or external influences but when it’s not there, we need to still be aware of the mission and push through to the finish line.
How to Remain Determined Through Adversity
Many things can throw us off course regardless of what we are setting out to achieve in life. Things will come, and things will go but “determination” will remind us of why we do what we do.
People may try to discourage us… we mail fail, and we may lose hope… but there are things we can do to remain determined through the fire…
- Keep doing something! (Progression creates motivation, which creates determination).
- Make time to stop and think to remember why you’re doing what you’re doing.
- Write down your desired end result and the benefits you’ll experience when you reach your goal.
- Who is rooting for you? Remember the people who believe in you and genuinely want to see you succeed.
- Get Inspired! Find inspiration through people/interactions, events, YouTube, books, Google etc.
These methods will surely keep you going when you’re facing adversity. Many do in fact create a motivational push which is great for progression but when you are always aware of why you’re doing something, it powers your inner determination long-term and even when you can find instant motivation.
Using these tactics will allow you to create long-lasting and powerful habits which you can benefit from at any time.
The answers are always in front of us, but many choose to give in rather than do what’s necessary.
Don’t Let Anyone Get in Your Way!
As said before, people can and will try to discourage us in multiple ways… it’s just a part of life. There are a few ways to handle this however because nothing should ever get in the way of your determination.
- Let them go.
- Learn how to block out the noise.
- Stick to your guns no matter what happens.
It’s true; some people don’t belong in our daily lives. You… come first… and although you might not want to shut out certain people, remember that you don’t have to compromise your beliefs for anyone.
So, it’s your decision as to who you want to surround yourself with but if you’re no longer determined because of an opinion, then it may be time to hang around people who can be supportive.
You are in complete control of your life and you have the power to move anyone out of the way that’s interfering with your goals.
It becomes a lonely road but greatness in any area of life often is.
Are You Determined for the Right Reasons?
Let’s face it… everything is not for us and we are not for everything. Determination is very powerful but what are we directing our determination toward?
Is what you’re determined toward what you really want? Often times life will give us the most benefits when we do things for the right reasons.
You see, we can have a box full of tools but if we use them for the wrong jobs, we likely won’t get the results we want. It’s the same for putting all of your effort into something which you know will not benefit you in any way (Unless it’s helping someone else).
So, this is a question we must all ask ourselves at some point. This may not apply to everyone as different (More personal) experiences may definitively require a lot of determination (Health problems, relationships etc.).
This aspect of determination often comes naturally and without effort as it’s always within us.
What Are Your Goals?
Many things are possible and most things we direct our determination towards are justified… but having short and long-term goals can help us to become even more passionate about achieving a result.
Determination without goals will lead to a road of disappointment, confusion and stagnation.
Nobody wants to spin their wheels but yet it’s so common because so many people blindly do something and hope it works out for them.
This goes along with the wrong way to utilize the power of determination.
Set some goals for yourself but think before you do… ask yourself the following questions?
- “Is it worth it”?
- Is there fulfillment in continuing?
- What’s do I ultimately want from this?
These are just a few questions you can ask yourself before embarking on a journey to achieve a goal/s. They will help you to narrow down the things you should be doing and eliminate the meaningless pursuits.
Don’t fall victim to not having a good plan and/or idea of where you want to take your life because nobody wants to waste time and efforts.
It does and will happen however as it’s just a natural part of life.
Don’t Worry About “Being Ready” …
The truth is… you don’t have to be entirely ready before you become determined to do something. Nobody ever has all of the answers but whatever you are trying to achieve, is waiting for you to make a move.
The most successful and powerful people in the world never have/had all the answers.
It’s about just being determined enough to make it!
We often see the hardest working people achieve way more than the smartest and this is because they had the determination to just jump in regardless of their lack of knowledge and/or inability to see achievement in the beginning.
The biggest mistake you can make is thinking you need to be ready, when all you need is willpower to start and from there… you learn.
Think about a time you just put forth the effort to try something and before you knew it, you were an expert, or you at least became good at something.
This is the power of determination
So be determined even when fear and uncertainty rear their ugly heads because this is the only way to see the greatness on the other side of what seems undesirable. You’ll never have it better as far as the journey to the desired place goes.
Learn From The Determined
How many of us have been inspired by someone else’s achievements? Chances are everyone has at some point.
The thing is… the person who was determined, knew why they needed to be determined. They wanted to solve a problem and/or be someone who they desired to become.
Maybe your reason for being determined means overcoming an illness, getting your desired job, starting a business etc.…
Well many people have accomplished these things and the great thing about living in our current times is that we don’t have to make the same mistakes which were made before us.
If something has been accomplished by someone else, then there’s no reason why you cannot have the determination to do the same thing. Even if you’re the first to try something, there’s a lot of inspiration out there to base your decision to try from.
Maybe you want to be different or maybe you want to prove someone wrong… well, others have paved the way for us to have the confidence to be determined to succeed.
Role models can be found in many shapes and form but if one thing is for sure, it’s that we can learn so much from them.
Determination Will Give You What Others Could Never Achieve
If there’s one thing that separated success from crushed dreams, it’s the power of being determined to keep going when others quit. Giving up is so common these days, that the ones who keep on pressing forward reach a place of being envied by others.
Look around and you’ll see that anyone who has ever achieved anything great has put in overtime consistently for a long period of time. No success comes overnight but one thing we have to agree on is the fact those who endure the wait, are usually the ones who are rewarded the most often.
Accomplishment is predicated on the simple action of pushing through the pain and uncertainty in life.
Be unique and stay true to your dreams when others give up on them. It will pay off in some shape or form, but persistence is surely the key and the most important tool you have.
The Determination Journey
1| You’ll Never Know Until You Try
Fear and uncertainty limit us so much more than we could ever know. The only thing that can change this way of thinking is being determined to do something anyway.
Doing things out of fear will allow us to learn things about ourselves which we never thought would be possible otherwise. The weakness factor comes into play when we are faced with challenges, we feel are out of our league, but you’ll never know what could have been achieved until you try.
It’s not easy by any means and honestly… it’s not supposed to be.
Trying comes with not knowing what the outcome will be many times. We have to get used to this fact and just be determined to do all we can to make sure we gave something our best shot.
The biggest mistake we can make is to abandon a possibility and leave it out there for someone else to take from us.
2| What to Do When Things Aren’t Going Your Way
Well… this is up to you to decipher.
Ask yourself a few questions to identify the most reasonable course of action…
- Have you given something enough time?
- Are you going about it the right way?
- Do you want whatever you’re pursuing?
- Can you continue?
- What would happen if you gave up?
The point here is that you know deep down inside whether you desire to have something or not. You know how you’d feel if you stopped progressing and you know that things don’t happen overnight.
This is hard to accept but sometimes things do not change after weeks, months and even years but just think… you’d be no different than anyone else trying to accomplish something.
So, is giving up really worth it? You may have to deal with the consequences if you do and if you’re ok with it then you can make your decision accordingly.
However, life is a long journey and we never stop learning and improving, so don’t settle just because things aren’t going your way.
Slow and steady wins the race and with some good determination, you can keep moving forward without feeling the need to throw in the towel.
3| What Have You Accomplished So Far?
You may need to switch directions halfway through something and there’s nothing wrong with this. You can base your next move on your progress and you’ll know you’re making progress when you accomplish even little things.
Sometimes if we are determined to do something we give up because we feel that the little things we’ve done are not enough.
Just ask yourself what you’ve accomplished so far regardless of how small or significant and you’ll start to appreciate small achievements.
4| Don’t Get Caught up with Worrying About Time
Failure ultimately fuels disappointment and a lot of time this has to do with the inability to accomplish something with a certain timeframe.
It’s ok to take a little longer to do something but as long as you remain determined, you’ll have less to worry about.
Plus, you take a weight off by understanding that things can take more time to actually achieve.
Now, it’s ok to set a general timeframe for wanting to reach a certain goal but just don’t get too caught up with worrying about time…
You just have to be determined to do what you set out to do and that’s it. There’s no blueprint to follow.
Now, if we’re talking about meeting a deadline set by someone else then it’s a bit different. This requires determination but there’s a little more pressure involved. The reasons for needing to complete something within a timeframe with no exceptions can vary greatly.
However, the one thing that will remain the same is the power which comes from being super determined. We as humans can do way above and beyond what we think we can do.
Now we may not succeed at everything but it’s ok, all you need is to be determined to keep trying and eventually you’ll break through your perceived limitations and your failures will be insignificant while even helping you in the long run.
5| So, What If You Fail…
Failure is inevitable, and no one is exempt from experiencing multiple times through one’s lifetime.
You have to shrug it off and here are a few ways to deal with it…
- See it as a learning experience and use it to fix your mistakes.
- Understand that failure is necessary for growth and success.
Many people get too caught up in their past (It will creep up and discourage you) and lose the determination and confidence after a setback.
However, setbacks really do not matter in the grand scheme of things and this is where the line is usually drawn between being complacent and progressing.
Shrug it off and move forward because pondering on your failures creates no benefits for you.
6| Block Out the Noise
Determination requires the ability to block out noise. Seeing through the distractions is a valuable tool to have and will benefit you in every way possible.
Noise can come in the form of people around you, the media, society etc.
All these distractions can really influence one’s thought process and blocking them out is a typical reaction of the determined.
7| Don’t Waste Time
Being too obsessed with time where it discourages you due to a failure is completely different than wasting your precious time.
The things that cause us to waste time include:
- Fear
- Failure
- Procrastination
- A lack of determination
- Uncertainty
Doing nothing is not better than doing something. Often times our fears of past failures and just being complacent will result from a lack of determination. Uncertainty will also cause time wasting because we’re never sure of whether we’d actually be wasting our time if we put our efforts into something.
The power which determination possesses is what is actually necessary to push aside these factors and to get what you want.
The goal regardless of the reason is to always get a certain feeling and/or experience a result due to the willpower to make it through a certain challenge/experience.
8| It’s OK to Be Alone in Your Journey
Determination can vanish as a result of being alone in your journey. The will to quit is one decision away but do you always need someone cheering you on? The answer to that is no.
Most people that are determined to do something usually go through it alone because the uniqueness of such strong will-power is seldom seen.
Dependence is a common characteristic because we grow up with friends, family etc. and other people which surround us and give us a sense of comfort. Well to think this always has to be the case is a big mistake.
It holds people back from doing what they know they should be doing but the thought of being alone is scary for a lot of people.
Nobody wants to walk the path alone (especially these days) because society has put that in our heads.
Many would call a determined person strange because of this “lonely” thought process but in fact it’s just the test of a strong mind and will.
9| Create Good Habits
Effective determination comes from making good habits in life. Good habits and a good thinking process will lead you to meaningful determination.
Habits are everything when it comes to accomplishment and success but without them, you’ll always be in the dark.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can blindly have a strategy because the whole point of having a good strategy is so that we can be more productive and effectiveness with anything in life.
Habits that create good choices are a pathway for the power of determination to do its best work. You have something incredibly useful to work toward and generally the most successful people have good habits which allow their will-power to take them even further.
It’s called “gaining momentum.” Now determination will help us to gain momentum and then we can be off to achieving anything we desire.
10| The “Power Of Determination”
The power of determination is such an amazing gift which we take for granted every day. So many people don’t know how to use it and not understanding it is another issue.
“Use it or lose it” stands true in this case and with such a valuable tool, who’d want to not use determination to break through any plateau and/or accomplish something.
We are given everything we need to be the best versions of ourselves and yet we just abandon such utility.
Many people will in fact rely on motivation rather than digging down deep inside to pull out the ultimate long-term solution to complacency and/or failure. However, like mentioned previously, motivation comes, and it goes.
Ever notice how when you’re feeling down, and someone encourages you to get up and keep going you feel better for a short period of time and then you’re back to feeling down again?
This is a perfect example of motivation. Now yes you can be determined within this time frame, but determination encompasses a more long-term desired end result.
11| What You Can Do With A Little Determination
Determination achieves success in area of life. Now, you may not accomplish exactly what you desire and/or when you desire to accomplish it, but determination will eventually work in your favor.
Whenever there is power in something, there’s possibility.
All it takes is realizing what you want and being determined to go after it until you’re successful at satisfying the inner desire put in you for a reason.
Anyone can have determination but it’s what you do with it that matters. People and/or things may distract you, but a determined person doesn’t care about an opinion or a road block.
They simply just keep trucking along and the desired end goal is always within sight. So long as you’re determined because of the right reasons, there’s nothing that can smash your will to succeed.
Many times, people lose determination because of external influences which really have nothing at all to do with the achievements which are entirely possible. People will come and go but your determination should still be right there where it has always been.
If you can stay strong through adversity, you will be able to experience the beauty of the “power of determination.”
