How to be determined

I recently heard a story that started at the trailhead of a very steep and difficult climb. This gentleman was getting his pack on and doing a bit of stretching when he noticed a young woman doing the same. She appeared unprepared for such an endeavor so the young man approached her and asked her if she was indeed embarking on this trail.

When she replied “yes”, he warned her of the difficulty and training required to complete such a climb. They parted ways and the young man thought to himself “she’ll never make it.” At the top, the thrill was immeasurable and the young man began to celebrate with his companions. They ate lunch, took pictures and lingered until it began to get a bit chilly.

As they turned to start down the trail, there just reaching the top was the young woman he had seen earlier. This young man stood silently for a moment as he watched her reach the top. As he descended the trail he thought to himself, it doesn’t matter how long it takes, it’s the determination to get there that makes the difference.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary determination is “a quality that makes you continue trying to do or achieve something that is difficult.” Determination is necessary to succeed at reaching your goals. Without it, when you reach an obstacle or something holds you back, you may just quit and never get past that barrier.

Determination is more lasting than motivation and fuels your aspirations. You may have that “ah ha” moment, a little spark of genius, or a light bulb that suddenly turns on inside your head that says “I’m going to do that thing”. It could be lose weight, get in shape, write a book, become a better person, earn a degree.

Whatever has ignited that spark, determination is the ability to carry it out no matter what you must face in your mind, the environment around you or when other people tell you to just quit. You believe what you are doing will work.

Did you feel that spark to start something new this year? If you’re like most people, this is the time of year you pledge to shed bad habits and improve your life. About half of Americans make a New Year’s resolution. A resolution is defined as a firm decision to do or not to do something. What may surprise you is the success rate is 60 percent of people will succeed at keeping their resolution. Resolving to do something is basically setting a goal.

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality. How to achieve your goals comes back to determination. Dreaming about completing your goal is simple. Taking the steps towards fulfilling that dream and reaching your goal takes determination. Here are five things you can do to build more determination into your life:

Stay focused. Remember that when you first start you feel this tremendous motivation. Sooner or later this will fade away. When you start to notice yourself slipping, break away from your comfort zone and remember your priorities and goals. Determination may happen overnight, or it may take some time, but do not let anyone or anything sidetrack you including yourself.

Decide what it means to succeed. Is success about getting married? Is success about losing 60 pounds? Is success about obtaining a degree or certificate? What do you daydream about? How do you want people to see you? What do you want to leave behind (your legacy)? These types of questions will help you figure out what success means to you and what determination will help you gain.

Set goals that are both small goals and big goals so you are constantly accomplishing something. This will help to increase your belief in yourself and increase your levels of determination.

Write down your goals. A quick mental note will not do it. When you write something down, you are constantly reminded that these are the things you have to do, and you are more likely not to put these goals in the back of your head and forget about them.

Visualize success. Picture and feel the reward of achieving your goal. Putting up sticky notes or pictures of your goal in places such as your bathroom mirror, refrigerator or car may be the wake-up call you need every now and then. Also, your brain will move in the direction of your focus. When you visualize success it encourages your brain to get on board.

Our focus here at Mat-Su Public Health is on child health, prevention of communicable disease, reproductive health, emergency preparedness planning, health education and health promotion. We are a team of determined professionals dedicated to the goal of meeting the needs of our community by working to improve your quality of life through better health.

If you need resources to assist in meeting your goals for a Healthy Lifestyle including smoking cessation resources and information, reproductive health including well women exams, immunizations against disease and illness, breastfeeding information and resources, well child exams and much more, please call or visit your Mat-Su Public Health Center, 3223 E. Palmer-Wasilla Hwy, Ste 3, in Wasilla and in the Big Lake Lions Rec Center in Big Lake.

Michelle Rountree is a Public Health Nurse for the state of Alaska Division of Public Health. Contact her at 352-6600, or send email to michellerountree@alaska.gov.