Determination is defined as the quality that you show when you have decided to do something, and you will not let anything stop you.

It can also be described as the will to accomplish goals in the face of external or internal opposition.

Determination is a quality that we need for many work situations, and in life generally, such as:

• dealing with difficult people and situations 
• communicating without answers 
• powerful conversations 
• pressure 
• simply not having the time 

There might be a goal we set out to achieve that is very important to us yet various barriers get in the way of completing that goal. It can take incredible determination to overcome the blocks and challenges that life throws at us.

Think about the Covid-19 pandemic. We’ve all needed to show an enormous amount of determination to cope with the unprecedented challenges presented to us over the past year.

We’ve had to completely change the way we live our lives, the way we work, the way we socialise – all while trying to live a meaningful life and be productive. The longer the pandemic has continued the more determination we have needed.  

The consequences of the pandemic have created a great deal of fatigue and exhaustion and this means that sometimes it takes a great deal of determination to just get out of bed. 

As human beings we have understandable and varied responses to life circumstances. 

Determination can be linked to motivation and the type of determination we might need could be very different depending on the nature of the challenge.

Motivation can be external (unless you follow the rules you’ll be fined, unless you do your job you won’t get paid…) or internal (having a sense of social responsibility and desire to protect others, doing a job/task because of a sense of enjoyment and pleasure in doing it). 

Having a self-determination means that we have intrinsic (internal) motivation. 

Visit the Technique section of the Journal for our guide to stay focused on your determination.