Achieve Your Goals with Determination

I was talking with a friend recently and he was having trouble staying motivated. We soon realized that he simply did not have the determination to achieve his goal.

“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”

I was talking with a friend recently and he was having trouble staying motivated. We soon realized that he simply did not have the determination to achieve his goal. Determination is defined as a firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end.

My friend wants to quit smoking, but after a short conversation, he admitted that his goal was not that important. Of course, there are no good reasons to validate his continual smoking, but until he is ready, and determined to quit, he won’t.

All goals set in life are achieved with determination. You need to focus on the goal, not the journey. For my friend, he knows for a fact that quitting sucks! He was facing the symptoms of withdrawals, the changing of habits, smelling and seeing other family members continuing to smoke while he was trying to kick the habit. He was letting the negatives of his “path less traveled” get in the way of his destination.

Looking at what he was giving up such as the social interaction, the excuse to take a much needed break and the sheer enjoyment received from his habit, continued to add more negatives that he was associating with quitting, (more symptoms of the journey).

Losing weight, reading more, getting organized and any other goal will give you similar obstacles, blocking your path to success. Sit down and make an honest list of the postive and the negative consequenses of trying on a new behavior to help you find a renewed determination to achieve your personal goals.

When my friend is ready to quit, he will find the determination to look at the goal instead, and so will you. His health will improve, he will save money, he will smell more attractive to his wife, customers, friends and clients. He will learn a new way to relax, find new social behaviors and notice how his teeth have gradually whitened; but most of all, he will be proud of achieving his goal… once he becomes determined to set one.