What is the difference between the man who pursued his goals and the man who didn't? Motivation and determination determine success and failure. So, if you find yourself not achieving your goals or you're getting stuck at a certain point, discover what defines these two terms and apply them towards bettering yourself.
Setting goals isn't easy, but it's not as hard as it seems. We can all do it. Sometimes we're stuck and it might seem like we're not moving forward. The good thing is you can always press forward just a little bit further. Moving forward is important. Failure is about being content with being normal. If you have an idea of what you want your life to look like in five years, nine months, or even six months, you're on the right track. That's determination in action.
Determined People Versus Weak-Willed People
Determination and willpower are like two muscles in your mind. The more you work them, the stronger they get. The same goes for the weaker ones. The key is in training them so that your strong points are stronger than your weak points. You'll never see a person with a strong will go down without a fight, unless they give up, while a weak-willed person will always go down without even trying.
You can argue with a strong person and you'll get annoyed if you argue with a weak one. You can threaten a strong person, but you'll get nowhere near them when they put their mind to something. Determination is the bigger of the two and willpower is the smaller. The more you have of the former, the more you'll have of the latter.
With determination, you can learn skills and figure out ways to solve problems, that are faster and more efficient, than going through the normal processes. With willpower, you can choose which of two conflicting choices you want to make. Having more of either one will allow you to make better decisions. Some people are naturally more strong-willed, while others are more-determined. The key to both is training.
Pushing Through Challenges
Pushing yourself to meet a challenge is hard. The more determined you are, the more likely you are to meet it. If you're not determined enough to succeed, you'll fail. It's that simple. You can do anything for six months, nine months, or a year.
Beyond that time, you'll need to update your motivation and train your strengths, or else you'll fall behind and fail. You have two choices going forward: You can maintain your current level of motivation and train your existing strengths, or you can determine to train your existing strengths and get a new, higher motivation.
If you choose to maintain your current motivation, you're allowing yourself to slip behind. This could be a serious problem, since there's no real telling what else you're capable of besides your normal routine. It might be best to start over and decide to train your own strengths. That way, even if your current motivation does wane, your newly acquired strengths will be there to pick up the slack.
Motivation Versus Continual Perseverance
While motivation is an important element to perseverance, it isn't enough. You can have bad motivation, or you can have bad habits. Lack of motivation is easier to deal with, than most people think. Many times, if you put your mind to it, you can achieve more, than you think you can.
You might feel like giving up and that's perfectly normal. There's nothing wrong with it. Sometimes we need to just let things go, and stop forcing ourselves to do something when we don't want to. If you need a little encouragement, sometimes all it takes is a little.
However, if you find that you no longer have the motivation to continue, or you're constantly questioning your commitment, then you need to re-evaluate your situation. It could be that you've lost sight of your original goal, or you don't have the right perspective on things.
You can't keep pushing yourself if you don't have the necessary motivation. It's simple. You have to decide what you're going to do and be committed to it. Once you're decided, you have to keep yourself focused.
Determination Can Be An Asset
You might have noticed that the word "determination" has been used a few times. That's because it is an important factor when it comes to success. People who have determination can achieve almost anything they put their mind to. The people who lack it, and who would rather give up, don't have the same chance.
You have to be willing to work hard and you have to be able to see the good in your efforts. Determination is the fire, that fuels your passion and keeps you going when the going gets tough. It makes you stronger, than you would be without it.
Determination is like a muscle. It needs to be worked to be strong. It also needs to be nourished to keep it that way. Don't think you can't afford to invest time and effort into developing it, because you can.
Determination does not guarantee success. That much is obvious. However, lack of it could prove to be fatal. Determination is an essential ingredient in the recipe for success. You can't have one without the other.
Important Aspects Of Being Successful
Determination, passion, and perseverance are three very important aspects of being successful. You need all three, but you also need a good amount of luck. Some people have more of one than the others, and some people have less of them than they think they can use. You can't count on having any of these aspects to give you what you need, but if you train yourself to be more in tune with your own inner resources, you'll be better able to adjust to situations as they arise.
You also need to be open to the possibility of failure. It's not a desirable outcome, but it's something you should expect and plan for. When you fail, it's not the end of the world. You can simply start over and try again. If you make the same mistake again, then you're doomed to a life of failure, but if you correct the mistake, you have a chance to succeed.
As for luck, you need a little of that too. Sometimes it's just good and you don't know why. Other times, you can try to do something about it, but you don't always understand why it was in your favor.
I agree with all the things you've said. Especially when you emphasized the importance and impact of having goals. Well, I really need to set goals to avoid getting lost along the way.