Contents:
- Medical Video: Grit: the power of passion and perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth
- What is meant by determination?
- Why is it important to have determination?
- Tenacity also has an expiration date
- Is there a way to strengthen determination?
Medical Video: Grit: the power of passion and perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth
Every human behavior is influenced by a thought process that ultimately creates a decision. But to be able to make the right decisions, we must control greed in ourselves to not be reckless in prioritizing decisions that can lead to disaster - even though it is sometimes tempting to do so. Having perseverance will have many positive influences on one's character. Perseverance is even considered an important factor in the success of life in order to achieve a goal.
What is meant by determination?
Simply put, courage can be defined as the ability to control oneself for a moment leaving the false desire to achieve long-term goals that are certainly greater. Perseverance is not only related to having motivation or determination to achieve something, but also involves controlling mindset and daily habits. And to be able to control yourself, all actions and behavior you must do consciously, by involving the ability to think logically and regulate emotions, and involve the ability to resist temptation.
Many believe that courage is an important factor in making lifestyle changes. With good self-control, we can apply a healthy diet and consistent exercise, avoid unhealthy opium such as cigarettes and alcohol, or stop procrastinating work.
Why is it important to have determination?
Failure to achieve goals can be influenced by many things - not just because of a lack of self-control or determination. But experts believe that determination is important in achieving that goal.
A study in 1960 tested self-control in childhood. Each child is given a marshmallow. If they want to wait 15 minutes then two marshmallows will be given. Researchers carried out follow-up observations until they were adults, and found groups of children who chose to wait for two marshmallows to have better levels of academic success, better quality of physical and social health. From here researchers conclude that the power of self-control that has been planted since childhood can be a protection from reckless lifestyles as they grow older. This research is known as "marshmallow experiment."
The findings of the study remain consistent with a variety of recent studies that show that someone who has perseverance is able to delay momentary enjoyment and has no impulsive nature. Other researchers also found that self-control ability in adulthood is needed to maintain social relations, maintain mental and physical health, and to prevent alcohol and drug abuse.
Tenacity also has an expiration date
Many psychologists also believe that the power of self-control is still there, so that someone's determination can be exhausted. In fact, restraint or patience to obtain something that is desired or even needed also affects the mental condition. Strength can be likened to a muscle. Too long not used will deplete its strength, but the frequency of use can also cause the muscles to wear out quickly and ineffectively.
In a 1998 study, researchers placed the research subject in a room that was fragrant with the aroma of cake. Participants are divided into two groups: One is given only one sample of paint, while the other is given several samples in a container. Then they are assigned to complete a puzzle. At the end of the study, the group given one sample of paint tended to give up faster than the group given the amount of the higher number of paints. This shows that self-control can decline dramatically under certain conditions.
Even though, the results of these studies can be influenced by the physical condition of each subject of the study. They may not be able to focus on working because of starvation, or because of the urge to snack. The brain is the most complex body organ and requires a lot of energy to still be able to work optimally. Therefore, brains that lack fuel can sacrifice the self-control process. Other psychological aspects can also affect the deterioration of your determination, such as mood, and the principles and attitudes of a person towards stimulation.
Is there a way to strengthen determination?
Here are a few ways you can prevent drastic deterioration:
- Get to know your own condition- when you begin to lose the ability to control yourself make a few exceptions in some time without losing complete control. For example, such as when you are on a diet, provide a day of "cheating" in a week to eat "unhealthy" food you want, then go back to the diet routine as usual afterwards.
- Divert attention - When facing a desire to do something that can delay your goals, try to divert your mind by doing other activities. Shifting your mind from a momentary desire is important to being able to stay focused on your goals.
- Make a new habit - stress when trying to focus on goals can make us tend to go back to old habits that actually keep us away from the goal itself. A new habit that does not contradict the goal can make the condition of the mind more relaxed and keep away from feeling bored.
- Reach the goal slowly - One of the reasons a person gives up quickly is because the goal feels very hard to reach, and wants to be achieved in a short time. One way to prevent your despair halfway is to do the work slowly and gradually. Don't be too fixated on how much portion to do, but try to focus on the process and the progress of what has been done.
- Be yourself - Even if it's cliché, the most important thing in passing a goal is to realize what you really want to achieve. Forcing yourself to fulfill or follow the goals set by others will make you very burdened because it is not in accordance with your true desires. This is what makes your determination easy to shake in the middle of the road.
