You turn the key in the door of your new apartment or cut the ribbon in front of the small business you just launched. You take a step up the career ladder, cross a finish line (literally or proverbially), or emerge from a difficult time stronger than ever.
As you look back at the journey that led you to these accomplishments, you’ll recognize how dedicated you were to achieving the goal and how deeply you believed in yourself. You were fueled by determination.
And you may make the opposite observation when you don’t reach an aim. You look back on the route to a goal you didn’t complete and realize you lost interest or self-belief — that is, your determination waned.
So, can you channel your willpower and do everything you set out to? Is determination a skill you can acquire? Or is this energy something you can only conjure when an aim is deeply important to you? Learn what determination is, its role in your life, and how to foster it.
What’s determination?
The determination definition implies a firm sensation of purpose and commitment to reaching goals or following a particular path. It’s the act of successfully pursuing a specific aim, motivating you to succeed at the goal.
So, what does determination mean in practice? Say you decide to get a master’s degree in literature. You research programs, apply, and, once accepted, begin your coursework. But you’re balancing your studies with your full-time job, meaning you do the bulk of your reading on evenings and weekends. Still, you manage your time effectively to attend every class, take your assignments seriously, and perform as well as possible. After a few years of study, you graduate without letting your performance at work suffer.
This example embodies the meaning of determination perfectly: you defined a clear goal, and you committed to energetically show up to achieve it. Studying for years and completing mentally-taxing assignments is challenging, but your determination insisted that you continually made an effort.
What makes a person determined?
Determined people are so committed to their path or achieving a goal that they’re resilient in the face of obstacles. In the example of getting a degree, you’ll inevitably cover material that’s difficult to understand or get a less-than-ideal score on a test. But these setbacks don’t deter you from the course. As a determined person, you need to know why your goal matters to you so your motivation doesn’t waver.
Setting goals that inspire you is a deeply personal process. Everyone has different aims. If you’ve ever tried to achieve a goal someone else recommended or that doesn’t truly align with your personal values, you likely learned that when you’re not attached to the outcomes, you have little determination to succeed.
What about self-determination theory?
So, what makes a goal meaningful? Self-determination theory can help you understand what drives you — in a larger, lifelong sense. In their book, Self-Determination and Intrinsic Motivation in Human Behavior, psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan suggest that people’s intrinsic desire to feel good and grow fuel willpower pushes them to try to reach certain aims.
Although self-determination theory refers to the elements of personality that turn into motivation, determination refers to the resolution you have to meet those goals. Ultimately, self-determination helps shape your motivations, and your determination propels you to meet them.
According to Deci and Ryan, self-determination relies on three main motivators: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
1. Autonomy
Autonomy is deciding a course for yourself and controlling your behavior. While your decisions may not always be correct for you (or others), when you do make the right choices, you fulfill your desires and lead an authentic life. And you know that the wrong choices are learning opportunities, helping you grow and improve for future opportunities.
2. Competence
Competence refers to the ability to form and practice skills — in other words, be good at certain things. Take the self-determination example of setting out to get a degree and acing most of your coursework. Your exemplary work reinforces your greater sense of capability. When you feel competent, your motivation, satisfaction, and well-being increase.
3. Relatedness
Relatedness describes the desire to be in community with others and form part of a whole. And social belonging is essential to a healthy existence. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs categorizes establishing meaningful connections as a precursor to self-esteem and self-actualization.
Why is determination important?
Determination is what prevents you from quitting on the route to a goal. When you look at examples of determination from your life of those you admire, you can see how this trait allowed you to adapt to unexpected obstacles and overcome them.
Determination doesn’t only secure a greater success rate for your goals. Fostering it also helps you grow and become more effective in your pursuits. Here are three ways building this trait benefits you.
1. Helps you overcome the fear of failure
It’s normal to fear you won’t reach a goal. After all, you aim for these targets because you believe they’ll bring positive change to your life. And you don’t want to miss out on the benefits reaching the goal could provide.
Suppose you hope to leave your nine-to-five and become your own boss, so you start a side business while going back to school to improve your entrepreneurial skills. You’re taking a significant risk changing your career focus and going out on your own, but you look forward to the rewards.
In this courageous leap, your determination allows you to face your fear of failure. In taking conscientious steps toward your goals, you put your worries and insecurities to the back of your mind and focus on correctly executing the action items to secure your success.
2. Boosts self-confidence
Have you ever put off a project or convinced yourself not to strive for a goal because you didn’t think you could succeed? That negative self-talk was a reflection of your self-doubt.
When you, instead, filter out that inner voice and remain determined, you face the inevitable adversities with a positive mindset. You believe in your ability to circumvent roadblocks, level up your skills as necessary, and make the effort to reach your goal. When you fulfill this achievement, you’ll enjoy a boost in self-confidence, looking back at how well you navigated a challenging situation and how much it taught you.
3. Increases motivation
As a determined person, you stay positive in the face of challenges, you laser-focus on your goal, and put in hard work. And observing your competency and mental fortitude can boost your motivation. You track your progress and celebrate milestones, watching as you get closer to your aims. This self-recognition reinforces the idea that you can reach your goal, motivating you to keep putting in the effort.
Starting your own business is an excellent example of determination to demonstrate motivation's power. After you’ve learned new entrepreneurial skills, like accounting, navigated the paperwork for registering your business, and built your website, you can appreciate the steps you’ve taken toward the goal. You acknowledge your dedication to professional growth, making your progress possible. Now, nothing can stop you from launching your business and enjoying its success.
Key traits of a determined person
There’s a determined person in everyone. Even if you wouldn’t classify yourself as one, you likely have many traits that fuel willpower and commitment to goals. Identifying these characteristics helps you see that you already have the tools to make significant achievements. Here are eight traits of highly determined people:
- Consistent: Reaching a goal takes time, accountability, and sustained effort. Determined people consistently work and hold themselves to meeting milestones, exhibiting excellent self-control.
- Focused: It’s easier to feel determined when a finite, achievable goal is in sight. Once a person loses focus, the finish line is harder to see and work toward.
- Confident: Determined people may feel insecure. But they don’t let self-doubt hold them back from setting goals or trying something new.
- Unafraid to step outside of their comfort zone: The road to achievements is lined with setbacks. Determination means facing these obstacles fearlessly, even if it means stepping out of the comfort zone.
- Present: People who focus too keenly on the past or future may have trouble making progress in the present. Determined types focus on what they can change now.
- Accepting of challenges: Challenges are an opportunity to learn. Determined people know their journeys will have them and interpret them as growth moments.
- Passionate: It’s nearly impossible for someone to feel motivated to reach a goal if they’re not passionate about it. Determination thrives off interest and excitement.
- Positive: Determined people don’t get hung up on setbacks or failures. They focus on positive progress instead.
How to become a determined person
You possess many of the traits of a determined person, and when you activate them, you’ll tap into this characteristic. Here are five ways you can leverage your skills and implement the power of persistence in your life.
1. Define ambitious but realistic goals
If you set goals that are overly ambitious or don’t give yourself sufficient time to complete them, you’ll feel frustrated and overwhelmed — losing your determination.
Set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based) and define an action plan for reaching them. When you set realistic goals you can track progress toward over time, it’s easier to stay committed and feel positive about the prospect of reaching them.
2. Allow yourself to rest and recharge
You may be so determined to reach a goal that you overwork yourself. Take a step back sometimes to avoid burnout or poor decision-making due to fatigue.
Take sufficient breaks, recharge with family and friends, and improve your sleep routine for optimal rest. Keep up with your self-care routines, like meditation, journaling or other relaxation techniques, and ensure basic wellness with proper nutrition and hydration.
3. Set challenges for yourself
It’s simpler to define action items toward some goals — like starting a business — than others. For example, if you want to become a more valued team member at work, you may have a tougher time defining the steps toward that transformation.
Setting challenges for yourself is a good starting place. Dare yourself to speak up more in brainstorming sessions or volunteer to take on more responsibilities. You can even set parameters for your challenges, like offering five new ideas at work per week.
4. Develop a positive mindset
It can be tough to push out negative thoughts, but they aren’t in service of your dreams. Practice a bit of self-management, and try to view your skills, talents, and ability to reach goals positively.
Whether or not you succeed in reaching your goal, you’ll be able to maintain your determination. If you let the negative mindset win, your commitment and motivation may slip. You could start to have ideas like, “What’s the point of continuing if I won’t succeed?” and those thoughts only hold you back.
5. Delay your gratification
Help yourself remain persistent by delaying your gratification on the path to your goals. Suppose you plan to run a marathon. You could congratulate yourself every time you get out of bed for your early morning run, but you’ll feel a greater sense of satisfaction if you celebrate significant milestones. Channel your willpower and revel in gratification after your first 5K, half-marathon run, and on the big day itself.
Unleash your determination
It’s possible to set a goal you don’t feel passionate about or isn’t right for your life. Maybe that master’s degree you wanted is too much work on top of your current professional and personal responsibilities, so you put the plan on hold. Making the sound decision to delay or stop working toward goals that don’t suit you isn’t giving up. It’s protecting your time and energy.
But when you set a goal you’re sure you want to reach, and the conditions in your life support it, unleash your determination. Welcome the challenge and remain consistent. Remember that setbacks are par for the course. These ups and downs are integral to what determination is, and you can revel in your successes and resiliently overcome obstacles.
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