The power of determination stems from several factors: a desire (often a set goal), personal satisfaction, and who are we kidding? Public perception. Psychologically, people naturally gravitate towards activities and careers in which they excel. Why? Because people admonish their skills in these positions, reinforcing their efforts aren’t wasted; and the cycle continues until the pinnacle of all goals have been met.
Most of the time, an up-hill battle is ahead of us, and we must keep thoughts and actions organized in order to realize the end goal. In fitness and in life, not all goals come to fruition in time. Sometimes, it takes a year or more when the initial time-frame was a mere month. My recommendations on staying alive and pushing through the dark hours are the following:
*Each morning remind yourself why you are in the very place you are; physically, environmentally, emotionally and cognitively. Why are you at that exact location right now? Why did you take the steps necessary to be there in the first place?
*After reminding yourself of the reasons above, list 5 things you’re most thankful for. Life throws people curveballs, but chances are in your favor that you aren’t doing too terribly. If you can walk, you’re better than someone who can’t. If you can see, that’s something a blind man has never experienced, and driving is essentially a physical amenity overlooked by those who sit in traffic, and complain. Life is really good. Reminding yourself why will kick-start your day into staying focused and determined.
*To our chagrin, it is true that life isn’t always fair. However, I generally believe good things come to those who persevere. Work hard play hard is a common vernacular thrown around among the Type-A millenials. Personally, Winston Churchill quotes keep me smiling the most amidst hard times:
Never, never, never give up.
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.
Along with a healthy, vitamin and protein filled breakfast, a morning routine sets the tone for the rest of the day. Feeling languid and mentally foggy can prologue the time somebody spends in bed. If getting out of bed is a struggle, throw yourself off the edge and jolt yourself awake. The first 5 to 10 steps are all it takes for your body to awaken and prepare for the day ahead. The determination in your life starts with the first steps you take each day; not to mention the first actions you take as well.
This post aims to cover my point of view on determination from a psychological as well as a physical point of view. Only super humans never fail, and last time I checked, I’m not one of them. As a result, failure is my only option if I want to learn something. In sport the analogy is clear. You fall, miss the hoop, have a mis-step. Get up and try again.
“Note, there’s only so much strengthening that can happen at any one time before the brain literally needs sleep. Strengthening takes energy and resources that are depleted and need to be refreshed. Therefore, to make learning persistent, it needs to be spaced, or reactivated and strengthened over a period of time. The amount of time over which to practice, and the total quantity needed, depends on the complexity of the task and the amount of time between practice and performance as well as the time between performance opportunities.”
The above quote is taken from The Cognitive Learning Chiefwhich expounds upon the basic principles of learning most of us know. Successful learning takes time, and spacing out skills and goals over time will improve the chances of success. People constantly say, “think positive,” “be positive,” “be optimistic.” It can be challenging after a series of falls, but looking forward keeps the brain alive and focused on regimens and tasks. Creating a simulation of a real situation where you’d be called upon to utilize your new skills for example, helps to set yourself up for success.
Staying determined takes about as much work as the learning process itself. Those of us who’ve reached milestones in life, be it in athletics or academics or any capacity, knows the feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment that nobody will ever be able to take away. So keep going. It genuinely separates the men from the boys, and reduces the amount you’ll have to boast, because you own your past successes; they’re already in your veins. Ever notice how some loud talkers aren’t usually the most accomplished individuals? Success lies within. That being said, during an important job interview, by all means highlight your successes. For it’s this very sense of determination that will hopefully land you that job.
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