If for a second I could get all the parents of the world to listen to me, I would use that second to tell them about the critical importance of determination.
It is the cornerstone of any type of achievement we want our children to attain.
It is ultimately the remedy to any type of ‘trouble’ or obstacle we might come across.
Here is WHY determination is a critical skill to develop.
Determination Guides You to Succeed
When I write about success I do not refer to just career but overall success, in personal matters, career matters, social matters etc. Determination is what separates the ones who make it to the goal, and the ones who quit and whine about a billion reasons why things are not possible. The determination is the essences of increasing your chances of being successful in a particular thing or achieving a particular goal, and it can also help you to stay motivated and continue striving towards the one thing you want to achieve.
Determination Helps You Overcome the Unexpected
When situations go wrong or not as expected we all consider giving up.
Considering quitting is normal, but are you aiming for normal or extraordinary in life?
When things go wrong, we can lose our confidence and begin questioning our judgment. This is exactly what most people do because we’re afraid of failure and shirk away from things that are hard and necessary.
However, having the determination to reach a goal helps you see the bigger picture and see obstacles as just ‘normal’ part of the process. Obstacles are there to weed out the weak. If you teach your kids to think like this, then you will have little warriors in your hands!
Determination Keeps You Focused
Learning that quitting is not an option will allow your child to keep their emotions in check. This way they focus on the effort and attention they need to put into accomplishing their goal.
Let’s compare this to having to go home after a long week at work. You clearly have a goal in mind and the goal is to go home!
Would you change your plans if you get stuck in traffic?
Would you change the goal if your car broke down?
Absolutely not!
You would wait in traffic for the right turn! You would call for help to fix the car!
This is the way to look at your goals.
Goals should be non-negotiable.
Determination is Fuelled by Encouragement and Support
This might be a bit hard to understand but people who value determination and practice they also tend to have a more positive network around them. This happens organically and naturally because determined people are generally positive people.
Therefore, by teaching them determination, you are helping them create a healthy network of friends who will support and help them in life.
Determination Allows You to Know Yourself Better and to Respect Yourself
Having goals and sticking by them will help the kiddos build trust for their abilities. There is nothing more empowering in life than to know that you can count on yourself and that you are capable to handle obstacles.
Let’s not forget that when we respect our selves we do not allow others to take advantage of us, or use us or push us.
Respecting who we are will ultimately be the reason why others respect us.
There you have it! Now you know why determination is critical and we as parents have to go out of our way to teach our children how to not be quitters.
Next time your kids want to quit something, think twice before you let them do it!
Originally published at mybookheroes.com