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. This is a hugely important part of being determined and achieving your goals. Negative thinking will lower your resolve and even cause you to give up on your goals. Positivity, on the other hand, allows you to persevere. Learn to identify the negative language you use on yourself and situations. For example, if you find yourself thinking "I'm so weak I can't even do one push-up," change that thought. Instead, think more positively by reframing that thought to something like, "I have trouble doing push-ups now, but if I stick with my routine, I will gradually be able to do them." . Often, when you get feedback or work on improving yourself, you focus on the things that need to be improved. This is a good strategy, but you should also figure out your strengths and use those to help you stay determined to achieve your goals.  Have friends/coworkers/family/teachers give you examples of times when you excelled (when you used your strengths). Recognize common themes throughout the examples that portray your  character strengths. For example, if people choose examples of times when you were really resourceful, you might leverage your resourcefulness to help you reach your goals (e.g., researching the best savings account interest rates to help you save the $10,000). . Confidence is the ability to believe in yourself, no matter how bad things are looking. Self-confident people experience a hurdle and believe that they can overcome it. This, in a nutshell, is determination. Determination is seeing a roadblock and believing that you can get past it, not necessarily because you have evidence that you've done so in the past, but because you believe in your abilities.  To portray confidence on the outside, walk tall, lift your chin and stand in a power pose (hands on hips). The more you practice acting self-confident, the more you'll trick your brain into believing that you are. To feel confident on the inside, stop comparing yourself to other people. Comparisons zap your self-esteem. Drop the comparisons by wearing a rubber band on your wrist and snapping it against your skin each time you catch yourself comparing. Flexibility is the art of being open to change. Just as a person doing yoga bends without breaking, neither should you in the face of challenges. The course you’re currently traveling will likely diverge at some point. Your goals may change and the methods you use to reach them will, too.  One of the best ways to stay flexible is by trying new things. Getting outside of your comfort zone helps keep you flexible, so make a list of activities or experiences you haven’t tried and start ticking them off. Switching up your routine also builds flexibility. Instead of driving home from work or school, take the bus or ride your bike. Also, take a completely new route, or do something spontaneous, such as stopping for an ice cream cone or browsing a few shops. . It’s much easier to be determined about your goals when your body is sustained by good fuel, enough sleep, and a good amount of exercise. All these things can help fend off issues like stress and anxiety that make it much harder to maintain determination.  Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night, with as many of those hours before midnight as possible. To help your body get into sleep mode more quickly, turn off your electronic devices (like computer, phone, iPad) at least 30 minutes before you go to bed.  Eat lots of veggies and fruits (especially the dark green and colorful ones, which have more nutrients). Avoid eating lots of sugars and salty or processed foods, which can make you feel sluggish or depressed. Go for good carbohydrates like brown rice, oatmeal, and sprouted wheat. Get enough protein by choosing eggs, fish, lean meats, etc.  Exercise for 30 minutes every day. Exercising releases good chemicals like endorphins, which can give you more energy and make you feel happier. Exercise can be anything from putting on a music playlist and having a dance party to going for a long run.
Eliminate negative thinking Play to your strengths Build your self-confidence Practice flexibility. Make healthy choices