psychology
5 simple strategies for more determination
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How do we finally manage to achieve our goals? It is often not the resources that we lack, but the willpower and courage that we lack. This way you can become more determined – without any pressure to perform.
“I would love to, but…” Hand on heart: Our plans often fail not because of external circumstances and obstacles, but because of ourselves. Sometimes it’s an inner resistance that prevents us from implementing something, sometimes it’s just a lack of it Determination. Applying for our dream job, saving for the long-awaited trip around the world or the daily habits that would be so good for our health – this is not about self-optimization or increasing performance, but about projects, ideas and wishes that would make us happier in the long term. We actually know that, but we still can’t do it. So what can we do to be more decisive about things?
5 steps to more determination
1. What is your drive?
The first question to ask yourself before you start anything is what drives you on the inside. Because for determination and willpower you need strong emotions that motivate you. What’s your “why”? What is important to you?
2. Define your goals
The next step is to define your goals based on this drive. What exactly do you want to achieve? Such goals can, but do not necessarily have to, be quantitative. They can also be of a qualitative nature, i.e.: Perhaps you do not necessarily formulate your intention as “I would like a great job that will earn me so and so much Euro”, but rather as “I would like a great job that will enable me to to develop and where I am also sufficiently valued financially.”
But if you actually have a certain amount of money that you need, you could also bring that to a more qualitative level, like this: “I want a great job that allows me to have enough money left over every month, to be able to afford my hobby and still save enough money for xy.”
Nothing against clearly defined goals – it’s more about connecting certain numbers or values with a feeling and a concrete thing that you want to achieve with it. This helps you develop determination because you know exactly what you need and how you want to feel.
3. Visualize the result
What is your life like when you have reached your goal? What has changed? What can you do, what don’t you have to do anymore, how do you feel? Visualizing your goal as specifically as possible will help you connect emotionally with it. And so you automatically develop the willpower it takes to achieve it.
4. Build habits
Even if your goal is probably an overarching one – such as said dream job, the world trip or good health – it takes many small steps to achieve it. What do you have to implement in your daily life to get closer to your intention? What habits help you? Practice incorporating them a little bit more into your everyday life every day.
But don’t be too hard on yourself – we usually don’t achieve anything with coercion. Rather make the habit a ritual and reward yourself if you succeed in daily implementation. This makes it much easier for your brain to accept something as a habit.
5. Practice acceptance
No matter how much we want to achieve something: We all only have a certain amount of energy. Willpower does not mean that we should try something with infinite hardness against ourselves on cramp. On the contrary: in the long term, we will work much more determinedly towards our success, even if we allow ourselves a break. We have to accept that there are bad days when we don’t have much strength or that something doesn’t work out. The next day the world looks different again. This acceptance of negative feelings and failure is also an important step on the way to more determination.
Sources used: psychologytoday.com, healthline.com