effect of determination essay

Why is Determination Important: A Key to Achieve Your Goals

Determination is important because it helps people overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Determination is the ability to persist in the face of difficulties and setbacks and to keep working towards a desired outcome. Determination can help people develop skills, learn from mistakes, and overcome obstacles. Determination is also a key factor in success, as it motivates people to pursue their dreams and aspirations.

Sanju Pradeepa

People will stop without consistent dedication to achieve goals and finish their work. They will stop pushing themselves and almost forget the reasons they started working in the first place.

The road is difficult, and lots of people can easily get discouraged and quit because they find the task too challenging. Manage your determination, as it plays a significant role in how hard or easy your goals or projects are to accomplish.

How can you be successful if you aren’t willing to work hard and persevere?

Table of Contents

Determination is not about being stubborn or refusing to admit defeat. It’s a state of mind that allows you to keep moving forward, no matter how tough things get or how hard it gets to get through them.

What does it mean to be determined? It’s easy to think of determination as a trait that only applies to people who are trying their best and failing. But in fact, determination is something everyone can have, even when working on difficult goals or projects.

The difference between a person who has determination and someone who doesn’t lies in how they handle failure: those with the capacity for grit will keep going even when things get tough because they know there will be another opportunity down the road; those without grit don’t necessarily stop after one setback but may instead give up altogether because they feel like there’s no point in continuing if nothing ever changes or improves.

The Importance of Determination in Achieving Goals

Determination is an important skill because it helps you stay focused on your goals, even when things get tough. When you determined you can make better decisions and work towards your goals with more enthusiasm.

You need to know why you want your goal and what makes it special and unique. This will help you plan for success and put the necessary steps in place.

Why is determination important?

It also comes with perseverance and dedication toward achieving your goal . You mustn’t give up easily on any task or project that has been assigned by yourself or anyone else. Success is the result of hard work, dedication, determination, and persistence.

1. Determination leads to success.

Determination and the ability to focus are two of the most important qualities for success. To achieve your goals, you must first have the determination to succeed and then follow through with it. If you don’t have this, you will never reach your goals.

A person who is determined will be able to ignore distractions, get past challenges, and keep their attention on their goals. They will always be going after what they want rather than settling for less than their best selves.

You must be determined to succeed in life. It will help you keep going when things get tough, even when it seems like there is no hope for you.

2. Determination motivates you to strive for your goals.

It gives you a reason to strive for your goals. If you don’t have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish in life, you’re unlikely to succeed. You’ll get frustrated and discouraged because there’s nothing to motivate you or give you hope that things will work out in the end. But if you know what it is that you want, then motivation becomes easier to come by because there’s always some sort of goal or reward in sight.

3. Determination Improves Your Decision-Making Skill

The ability to make decisions is the most important life skill. Decisions are usually made based on emotion rather than logic and reason, which makes decision-making difficult. But with determination, you can overcome your emotional state and make an educated decision.

To make the best decisions, you must be able to stand on your own two feet and handle whatever comes at you. It’s not always going to be easy, but if you can do it, then you will be able to take control of your life and get what you want out of it.

Confidence is key when making any type of decision because if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will either. You need to believe in yourself before anyone else can believe in you. This is how having determination is so important, because it gives us a reason to strive for our goals and dreams instead of just giving up when things get tough or when we don’t know how to move forward with something new that we have been trying for years without success.

4. Determination helps us stay focused on our goals.

You need determination when you are trying to reach a goal, especially something that has been elusive for a long time. and also because there are many obstacles along the way that can prevent you from reaching your goal.

When things don’t go as planned, it keeps us motivated and helps us stay focused. We frequently lose sight of our goals when we are preoccupied with something or encounter challenges that make them difficult to complete. When these challenges arise, our perseverance helps us get past them so that we can keep working toward our objectives without losing sight of what’s most important: success.

5. Determination Helps You Overcome Failure

Failure is a part of life. It is inevitable. And it is not something to be avoided; rather, it can occur at any stage of your journey. But if you are determined, you will always find a way around it. You will always find a way to overcome failure and succeed in whatever you set your mind on.

The only difference between people who fail and those who succeed is that the latter are willing to admit that they failed, take ownership of their mistakes, and learn from them instead of blaming others for their failures.

You Couldn’t Live with Your Own Failure, So Learn from It

6. determination gives you hope.

A lot of people say that they have no hope for the future. They believe that their life is hopeless, and they have given up on it. Some people have made such a decision because of the circumstances in their lives. Others have made such a decision because of their experiences and events.

However, there are still some things we can do to make our lives better and happier. We should not stop believing in ourselves and our abilities because this will only make us feel worse about ourselves, which will lead to depression and anxiety.

Determination gives you hope because it shows you that you can overcome any obstacle in your way and achieve your goals. It has always been an important factor for success in every field of life, from sports to business to even politics.

 It is true that when people think about achieving something great for themselves, they tend to become more determined about it than others because they want others to see how great they are.

7. Persistence drives negativity away.

It’s common to believe that things will never get better after a bad day. It’s hard to keep going when you feel like you’re hitting a wall. But if you want to make progress, you need to keep going.

You can’t give up. You have to make the effort , even when it’s not fun or easy. You have to push through the negativity and come out on the other side of your struggles stronger than ever before.

If you truly want to become more successful, determination is key to keeping negativity at bay and moving forward in your life.

Determining Your Why

When you are deciding what to do, the most important question is: Why? Why are you doing this? What will you get out of it? Why should you do this?

If you can’t answer these questions, then don’t do it. You need a reason for doing something that is more compelling than “I want to” or “I should.”

Once you’ve identified your why, you’ll know what to do next. You can’t just sit back and wait for the money to roll in every time, but you can make sure that your work is helping people and making a difference.

You may have heard the saying “what you do is who you are,” and it’s true. Your actions are a direct reflection of your character, integrity, and values.

If you want to be the type of person who makes good decisions, then you need to determine your why before setting out to do something. The why should be a clear and concise statement of what you want from life. It will likely be different from person to person, but at its core, it should answer the question, “Why am I doing this?” “What does it mean for me?”

You may not know exactly what your why is now, but over time, as you learn more about yourself and the world around you, it will slowly reveal itself. It might take years or even decades before you finally figure out why you want to be an entrepreneur, a writer, a teacher, or whatever it is that drives your passion. But once you find out, keep that in mind when making decisions throughout the rest of your life, because knowing your why can make all the difference regarding how much happiness and joy you can bring into your life every day.

20 Importance of Knowing Yourself: A Guide to Self-Discovery

The correlation between determination and success.

Determination and success are two sides of the same coin. You can’t be successful without being determined, and you can’t be determined without having a goal.

As the saying goes, “You cannot have a dream and do nothing about it.”

This is especially true for people who want to achieve their goals. To them, determination is more than just a word; it is something tangible that they can use to help them achieve their dreams.

A key to success is determination. It comes from within, not from the world around you. It comes from your heart as well as your soul.

The only thing that can stop you is yourself.

The world will always put obstacles in your way, but it’s up to you to keep moving forward. If you don’t try, then no one else will ever be able to help you. You must take control of your life and make decisions for yourself instead of letting others do it for you.

When people tell me that they don’t have enough time or money, I ask them if they’re willing to hustle.  Whatever it takes to get what they want out of life. That’s all there is to it. You just have to decide daily whether you want something more in life than what others are offering, and then go after it with everything that you’ve got.

How Determination Leads to Success

The desire to achieve success is one of the most powerful emotions that drive us and shape our lives. It’s also one of the hardest things to achieve because it requires the ability to overcome obstacles and challenges along the way. But if you’re determined enough, you’ll find ways around these challenges, even when they seem insurmountable.

When you’re trying to achieve something, it’s important to have a clear vision of what you want. The more determined you are, the more likely you are to reach your goal.

People who don’t believe they can do something are not going to try very hard to do it. You have to believe in yourself, and if you don’t believe that you can succeed, then no one else will either.

A lot of the time, when people say, “I want to be successful,” what they really mean is, “I want power.” They want to be able to control other people. I don’t think that’s what success is about. Success means being happy with who you are and what you do, enjoying the process and the journey more than the destination.

The most successful people in history have been those who have made their lives about something deeper than money, status, or power. It is about having character, a strong personality , integrity, and principles; it is about being willing to sacrifice for others and for causes larger than themselves.

1. Determination can help you overcome challenges.

If you’re determined to achieve your goals, then you can overcome any challenge that comes your way. You may even find yourself in situations where you have to deal with challenges and difficult people daily, but if these same people don’t see themselves as being able to do anything about the situation at hand, then they will probably give up too easily before trying their best at all times.

2. Determination will help you progress in your career.

• It helps you overcome challenges that come up along the way, such as when you’re feeling doubtful or discouraged about your progress.
• It keeps your focus on what’s important and not letting other things get in the way of achieving success.
• It helps develop skills that will help make sure that you can reach those goals later on down the line, like learning how to write well enough so that is published someday.

3. Determination helps you develop as a person.

It is a powerful force. It’s what leads you to do what you want, even when it’s not easy. Determinism means that your actions are caused by external forces rather than being free from them. In other words, your environment and genetics completely determine everything you do. 

Determinism contrasts with free will: the idea that we have complete control over our lives and decisions. People who believe in free will see themselves as autonomous beings who make their own decisions based on their own preferences; they may not be able to explain why they act in a certain way at any given time. But they hold onto this belief because they see no reason anyone else would choose differently.

4. Determination develops within you and forms part of your identity.

It is a quality that can be developed, learned, and harnessed. It helps you find the strength to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. It develops within you and becomes part of your identity. You are determined if you can persevere through difficulties or setbacks to accomplish something important for yourself or those around you.  

5. It helps us persevere in the face of adversity.

Success relies heavily on determination because it enables us to keep going in the face of difficulty. If you’re determined enough (and have enough willpower), even the most difficult tasks will seem manageable in comparison to other challenges, and if they aren’t? Then there’s always another challenge waiting somewhere down the road.

If you want to reach your desired goals and achieve success, determination is an essential attribute to cultivate.

Determination and Overcoming Obstacles

Determination and overcoming obstacles are key factors for success, but many people overlook them. Determination is the backbone of this trait, and overcoming obstacles is what allows us to gain it. 

What might go against you? It could be external or internal, and it doesn’t matter which one it is. The most important thing is to understand that overcoming any obstacle that comes your way has nothing to do with strength but with determination and desire.

Direction and Determination: Fueling Your Drive to Succeed

Determination and personal development.

 As a child, you have a very strong desire to be good and do the right thing. You want to be liked and respected by others, but at the same time, you also want to set your own rules and make your own decisions.

As you grow up, you start to gain more self-confidence and learn how to take control of your life. You begin to realize that there are many things that you can accomplish if you believe in yourself and work hard enough at them.

You may not realize it at first, but determination is a great way for adults as well as children to achieve their goals. It is how we choose what we want our lives to look like when we grow up. We can choose whether we want to be successful in whatever career path we choose or whether we want just enough money for ourselves so that we don’t have to work too hard for it.

Determination doesn’t mean being stubborn or refusing to change if necessary. It means believing in yourself enough so that you can overcome any obstacles that come along the way and continue forward with your goals without giving up.

  If you’re determined to do something, you will find a way. You may have to work harder than everyone else to make it happen, but if you really want it, you’ll make it happen.

People who are determined will always strive to reach their goals and dreams. They will never give up, and they always keep working hard on their projects until they succeed. It is also about having strong beliefs in yourself and your abilities. If you have a strong belief in yourself, then it will be easier for you to reach your goals and dreams because you will not need to doubt yourself or your abilities.

Courage and Determination: What Takes to Achieve Your Goals

Determination and resilience.

Determination and resilience are two essential qualities that all successful people possess. They play important roles in your ability to persevere through tough times, but they can also be learned.

They both play a role in the willingness to put in effort in the face of setbacks.

Determination and resilience are both important, but they’re not the same thing. When you’re talking about determination, it’s important to understand that there are two types: hard determination and soft determination. Hard determination is when you have a strong will; this can be used in any situation where willpower is necessary whether it’s school or work or just your day-to-day life. Soft determination is when your will has been broken down by events beyond your control (like losing an object).

Resilience refers to how well someone reacts when things don’t go their way. Resilience also plays into how resilient people can be at times when conditions change rapidly; for example, someone who had been struggling might suddenly gain confidence after being given a new opportunity based on their past accomplishments

Taking an active role in problem-solving is key to both determination and resilience.

Determination requires a sense of control over your actions and outcomes, which you can learn how to cultivate.

Determinism is the belief that all events are determined by prior events and have no random element. In other words, you cannot do anything to change your fate or condition, no matter how hard you try.

Resilience requires a positive outlook, which you can influence by changing your daily habits, such as exercising and spending time with friends.

To be more resilient, you must work on your mindset . Positive thinking involves changing your outlook and behavior so that you approach life with a sense of optimism and positivity .

You can learn to be more determined and resilient from your experiences and environment.

• Determining your own goals and sticking to them. Everyone has different goals for themselves, but many people don’t know how to set theirs or what they mean when they say, “I want this.” You must figure out what you want in life because having a clear path will help keep you on track when life gets tough or stressful.
• Building a personal support network of friends who will support each other through the good times as well as the bad ones (even if there isn’t much bad). Having someone else there for support means being able to lean on each other without feeling like they’re taking advantage of you in any way; it also helps make sure that no matter how many setbacks happen along the way, nothing gets too overwhelming!
• Learning from mistakes made before them so that their future decisions aren’t made based solely on past experience or using those experiences as learning tools instead. For example: If I’ve failed twice at something related beforehand then maybe next time around won’t go wrong because I’ll know better methods/strategies etc…

Perseverance vs Resilience: Which One is The Most Important

Setting and achieving goals with determination.

The most important thing to remember when setting and achieving goals is that you have to be determined and focused on them. You have to believe in yourself, write down your goals, and set short-term ones that lead up to your long-term ones. You also need to develop a plan of action along with realistic, achievable goals within which you can succeed; this way, you’ll feel successful even if there are bumps along the way.

Let’s talk about the steps we need to put on to set and achieve our goals with determination.

1. Believe in yourself.

Believe in yourself. This is the first step to achieving your goals. If you don’t believe it, then how can you expect anyone else to? Belief is the key to success, and it’s also the foundation for all other successes. Let me say that again: belief is the key to success.

Importance of Believing in Yourself: Be Your Own Biggest Fan

2. be specific and write your goals down..

Write down your goals. Be specific and write them down in a way that you can truly see them.

For example, if you want to get exercise each day for five days next week, write it down as follows.

3. Set short-term goals that lead to long-term goals.

Short-term goals can be a great way to get your mind off the long-term, but if you set them too early in your goal-setting process, they’re likely to feel like a distraction. Instead of setting short-term goals that lead directly into long-term ones, it’s better to start with long-term goals and break them down into shorter subgoals along the way.

For example:

• If I want to lose weight by July 1st, I should exercise every day for 30 minutes per session with no breaks between exercises.
• If I want my credit score to be above 700 by December 31st, then I should make sure all my bills are paid on time each month and maintain good credit habits throughout the year (e.g., always paying bills on time).

4. Develop a plan of action.

Planning is the key to achieving your goals. It keeps you on track, prevents wasted energy, and helps you stay flexible when things don’t go as planned.

The best way to plan is to write down everything that you want to accomplish in one day or one week. Then break it down into smaller goals based on what’s possible during that period.

For example: “I want to become more confident,” “I want my reading speed to increase,” etc. Once all these smaller goals have been identified, write down how long each one will take before moving onto another part of the big picture (e.g., if I’m going from level 1 to level 2 of my reading skillset, then I’ll need 3 months).

You can also use this same method for other areas where improvement may be needed, such as weight loss or learning new skills like cooking.

5. Set realistic, achievable goals.

It’s important to set goals that are realistic and achievable. Don’t set goals that are too difficult or too easy. If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t aim for a 500-pound goal; instead, choose something like “I want my clothes to fit better.”

Don’t set goals that are too vague or general: “I want more time with my daughter” isn’t much of a goal! You could write down what kind of time it is an hour once a week. Two hours every other weekend? Once per month, when does she have soccer practice? But it would be better if you found some concrete ways in which the additional time will help both of you (e.g., having dinner together).

Don’t make unrealistic promises about how long it will take or even expect to accomplish these things; instead focus on making small incremental steps forward each day so as not get discouraged easily by setbacks along the way toward your ultimate goal(s)

14 Importance of Goal Setting: Unlocking Your Full Potential

6. leave room for error..

One of the most important things you can do is leave room for error. You will learn from your mistakes, and you can’t be perfect if you’re trying to achieve something. So don’t try to be perfect; leave room for people to fail, because they will fail at times. If you have a goal or objective that isn’t working out for whatever reason (maybe it’s too challenging), don’t let it discourage or frustrate you.

Instead, use this opportunity as an opportunity to improve yourself and become better at what matters most: ng your goals, and realizing what’s really important in life.

How Do You Let Go of the Spirit of Perfectionism? Wanna Try?

7. learn from your mistakes; don’t wallow in them..

Don’t let mistakes stop you from achieving your goals.

Try new things, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

The most important thing is that you’re able to learn from them and move on with confidence in yourself as a person capable of achieving anything they set their mind on doing.

8. Think of how you’ll feel when you complete a goal.

When you think about how you’ll feel when a goal is completed, there are a few things to keep in mind.

The feeling of accomplishment. This is probably the most obvious one: if your goal is something that doesn’t come easily and/or often, it’s going to be harder for you to achieve it than if it were something simple or even easy. But don’t let this discourage you. The feeling of accomplishment can be just as rewarding as the actual act itself, and sometimes even more so.

Pride in what we’ve done and where we’ve gotten ourselves today: We all like being proud of ourselves; being able to look back on our lives with pride will give us more motivation than ever before (even if only slightly).

If you want to make this feeling stronger, use something realistic to motivate yourself to accomplish your goal.

For example, you can use Custom Pins to express your commitment to each goal. You can choose different shapes, colors, and textures to represent different goals, and when you wear it, it can constantly inspire and remind you.

They can be clipped to backpacks, clothing, hats, and more. You can also give them as gifts to friends, colleagues, and others to share your joy.

You can achieve any goal you set if you are determined and focused on it.

If you want to achieve your goals, it’s important that you believe in yourself and be specific about what you want. Write down the steps that are necessary for achieving your goal, then set short-term goals leading up to achieving the long-term goal.

For example, “I’m going to lose 20 pounds by spring break” can become “I will exercise at least three times per week for 30 minutes per session,” which in turn leads to setting up a schedule with specific workouts (e.g., “Monday is my strength training day”).

Once you have made good progress on reaching one goal (say, weight loss), set another one. Don’t become discouraged if some days aren’t perfect; you’ll get there eventually.

How to Cultivate Determination

First, you need to understand what it is. Determination is the will to continue on, despite the challenges and obstacles that stand in your way. It’s the fuel that keeps you going, even when you don’t feel like it.

So how do you develop it?

1. Set your intention – You need to decide that you want to be more determined, and then put in the work to make it happen.

2. Find your why – Why do you want to be more determined? What’s motivating you? And finally, you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

3. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone and see what you’re really capable of.

It’s an easy guide. Let’s see what ways we can use to cultivate our determination.

1. Set small goals and work towards them one step at a time.

You don’t have to do everything at once but rather focus on one thing at a time and move on to the next step when you feel ready for it. This will help keep your mind from getting overwhelmed with all of the things that need to be done at once.

2. Be patient with yourself

Because sometimes it takes longer than expected for things to happen or change for the better in your life. Don’t give up if something doesn’t happen immediately after you’ve started working on it, so set realistic expectations and don’t expect things to happen overnight.

3. Make sure that you have a strong sense of purpose.

What are your values? Why do they matter so much? How can they affect other people in your life? This will give you a sense of direction and help you focus on what matters most in life.

4. Develop a sense of self-worth by setting high standards for yourself and others

The more confident and secure you feel about yourself, the less likely you are to give in to peer pressure or other people’s opinions about how much effort or effortlessness should be involved in achieving your goals.

How Do You Manifest Self-Worth: 11 Easy but Effective Ways

5. developing a strong will..

A strong will is when you don’t let other people tell you what to do or how to do it. You have your own ideas, and you stick with them no matter what other people say or do.

6. Staying positive even when things are going wrong around you.

When things are going wrong around you, it’s easy to get discouraged and give up on your goals completely. But if you stay positive , then even if things don’t always work out as planned, at least you have pushed yourself forward in life and learned something new along the way.

It’s not going to be easy, but with dedication and perseverance, you can develop a determination that will help you achieve anything you set your mind to.

Determination is one of the most important traits that you can develop. It will help you to achieve your goals, and it will make sure that you are able to overcome any obstacles that may stand in your way. It is a strong force that can overcome anything, but it also has its limitations.

It has a lot of positive effects on people because they tend to focus more on their goals than other people do; they also tend to be more motivated and ambitious than others who don’t have such strong motives behind their actions.

However, determination has its limits as well: if someone is determined to become rich or powerful but fails at achieving his goal because he lacks the skills or knowledge needed for success (which happens very often), then this person might lose hope and give up on his dreams altogether.

• The Benefits of Determination
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Essay on Determination

Students are often asked to write an essay on Determination in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Determination

Understanding determination.

Determination is a powerful trait that helps us overcome challenges. It’s the inner strength that pushes us to keep trying, even when things are tough.

The Power of Determination

With determination, we can achieve our goals. It helps us stay focused and not give up, no matter how hard the journey may be.

Determination in Everyday Life

We can see examples of determination in everyday life. From studying for a difficult test to practicing a sport, determination is key to success.

In conclusion, determination is a vital trait that can help us achieve our dreams. It’s the fuel that drives us forward.

Also check:

• Speech on Determination

250 Words Essay on Determination

The essence of determination.

Determination, a virtue often associated with resilience, is a cornerstone of success. It is the relentless pursuit of a goal, the unwavering commitment to a cause, and the unyielding resolve in the face of adversity.

Role of Determination in Personal Growth

Determination fuels personal growth. It is the driving force that propels us forward, despite the odds. When faced with challenges, it is determination that keeps us from faltering. It fosters a growth mindset, encouraging us to view setbacks not as failures, but as opportunities for learning and improvement.

Determination and Achievement

In the realm of achievement, determination is indispensable. It is the grit that allows us to persevere, even when progress seems elusive. Whether it’s the pursuit of academic excellence, the attainment of professional goals, or the realization of personal dreams, determination is the catalyst that transforms vision into reality.

Manifestation of Determination

Determination manifests itself in various ways. It can be seen in the tireless efforts of a student preparing for an exam, the relentless training of an athlete aiming for the gold, or the ceaseless drive of an entrepreneur building a startup. It is the quiet resolve that underlies every endeavor, every aspiration, every triumph.

In conclusion, determination is the bedrock of success. It is the unwavering commitment to a goal, the resilience in the face of adversity, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. It is the embodiment of the human spirit, the testament to our capacity for greatness.

500 Words Essay on Determination

Introduction.

Determination is an essential quality that significantly impacts an individual’s ability to achieve their goals. It is the driving force that propels us forward despite the obstacles that stand in our way. Determination is the grit and tenacity that helps us persevere when the going gets tough.

Determination is not merely about having a goal; it’s about having the willpower, the discipline, and the perseverance to reach that goal, no matter how challenging the journey. It’s the psychological strength that enables us to face adversity head-on, to remain focused, and to persist no matter the odds. Determination is what makes the difference between those who dream and those who achieve.

Determination and Success

Determination is often the key differentiator between success and failure. It’s the fuel that keeps our engines running when we’re tempted to give up. It’s the stubborn refusal to accept defeat. When we’re determined, we’re not easily swayed by temporary setbacks. We see them as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks. This unwavering resolve is what propels us towards our goals, helping us to overcome the hurdles that come our way.

The Role of Determination in Personal Development

Determination plays a crucial role in personal development. It is the catalyst for self-improvement, pushing us to learn, grow, and evolve. With determination, we are more likely to step out of our comfort zones, take risks, and embrace change. It’s the force that encourages us to strive for excellence, to improve our skills, and to become the best versions of ourselves.

In conclusion, determination is a powerful trait that can significantly shape our lives. It is the backbone of success and a critical ingredient in the recipe for achievement. Without determination, our goals remain dreams, but with it, we can turn those dreams into reality. Determination is not just about being stubborn or hard-headed; it’s about having the courage, the resilience, and the willpower to keep going, even when the odds are against us. It’s about never giving up, no matter how tough the journey. It’s about believing in ourselves and our ability to succeed.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Why Determination Is The Key To Success + 7 Secrets To Master It

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read the full disclosure here.

The road to success is bumpy and filled with unexpected plot twists. Staying on it requires a high tolerance to discomfort and some immunity to failure. What is the quality that arms you with these characteristics? Determination, of course!

A lot of people would argue that determination is the key to success. Let’s put that to the test. Remind yourself of one time you managed to achieve an important personal goal. What carried you along the way? What persuaded you to persist through difficulties even when the odds weren’t in your favor? I bet determination is your answer.

In this article, we will explore the meaning of determination and its importance for success and reveal ways to cultivate more determination in your life. Are you ready to inch closer to your goals? Let’s go!

What Is Determination and Why Is it Important?

Before moving on, let’s define determination: Determination is the decidedness to persist towards a goal , tackling challenges and not allowing them to derail you. 

Without determination, you are more likely to get distracted from your goal, disheartened by the difficulty, doubt your competence, and give up. In other words, determination is knowing what you want and doing everything in your power to get it.

According to psychologist Angela Duckworth, determination is a key ingredient of perseverance, which, blended with passion, creates grit , the one-ticket way to success .

What Is Self-Determination Theory?

The self-determination theory has been researched and elaborated throughout decades by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. It is a theory about human motivation and personality, studying how our environment and our interactions with it can shape them.

They argue that people are naturally inclined towards growth and development, which can be promoted or undermined by social context. They have also concluded that humans have three basic psychological needs:

• Autonomy : The need to feel in control of one’s own actions and choices.
• Competence : The need to feel capable and effective in one’s interactions with the environment.
• Relatedness : The need to feel connected to others, to care for and be cared for by them.

If these three needs are met, the individual has higher motivation and greater engagement. On the contrary, when they are not satisfied, the individual’s well-being can be compromised.

Finally, they have pinpointed the different types of motivation, which include:

• Intrinsic Motivation : Engaging in an activity for the sheer enjoyment or satisfaction it brings.
• External Regulation : Motivation driven by external rewards or pressures.
• Introjected Regulation : Motivation driven by internal pressures, such as guilt or ego enhancement.
• Identified Regulation : Motivation driven by personal goals or values.
• Integrated Regulation : Motivation driven by fully assimilating the activity into one’s sense of self.

The more integrated or internalized the extrinsic motivation, the more autonomous the person will be. This highlights the importance of using intrinsic motivation to drive our efforts, as it is less likely to run dry.

So, the self-determination theory doesn’t really talk much about determination itself but the conditions that facilitate motivation. Even so, I think it is important to keep in mind the fundamental needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness . Feeling supported by your environment can indeed make a big difference in achieving your goals.

Pairing determination with internally driven motivation can be a powerhouse combination for propelling us toward success!

Why Is Determination Key to Success?

Goals are never achieved by chance. Even the luckiest people in the world (if you believe in luck, that is) cannot be simply handed what they desire without striving for it. There needs to be intentional effort fueled by determination and powered by self-discipline .

Let’s examine why determination is the key to success:

Determination Can Help You Stay Committed

Unmet expectations, impatience, distracting situations, and luring alternatives can derail you from your path. Determination can help you overlook the immediate gratification and reserve your faith in your original purpose. It can help you stay committed to your plans!

Determination Can Help You Overcome Challenges

The most common misunderstanding about success is that it can be achieved in a predictable way. However, life has shown that not all times A and B lead to C. Even when doing your best, unexpected obstacles may arise, forcing you to recalculate and adjust your efforts.

In those vulnerable moments of being beaten down, admitting defeat seems like a sweet relief. This is where determination will be your most valuable ally. Paired with resilience, it will allow you to remain hopeful and persistent in the face of challenges.

Determination Can Help You Improve

Bypassing obstacles requires knowledge and skills. Sometimes, you need to become better in order to make progress. In this indirect way, determination towards your goal will help you grow and evolve as a human being.

Determination Will Allow You To Overlook Unhelpful Criticism

If we stopped trying each time we heard a negative comment or were told we were not good enough, we would have never achieved anything in our lives. Determination gives you confidence in your powers and faith in your purpose, even if no one is rooting for you. You will not need external validation and support if you provide these things for yourself. 

How to Build Stronger Determination

Now that we have established that determination is the key to success; let’s explore how we can cultivate more of it in our lives.

1. Set Your Eyes on the Prize but also Enjoy the Process

The road to success is long, so keeping in frequent touch with your goals can refresh your sense of determination. I like to make mood boards out of pictures that remind me what success looks like to me. Another way is to do visualizations, trying to put yourself in the mentality and emotional state of a future version of yourself who has achieved what you are striving for now.

However, it is equally important to make the process enjoyable. There is no reason to be miserable trying to achieve your goals because no one can guarantee success will make up for it. If you are having fun and genuinely like what you’re doing, you are more likely to have high determination.

2. Define Your Purpose

Our purpose is like the fire that fuels our actions. When you lose your determination, recall your “why.” What made you jump into this sea in the first place? What significance does this achievement hold for yourself and your future? Your purpose will be your moral support along the way. 

3. Set SMART Goals

What is better to climb, a steep slope or a friendly staircase? I bet the second. When goals seem unachievable, our resolve will dissolve. However, there is a science-back technique for setting goals that are meant to be smashed, and it can be summarized with the SMART acronym.

Before setting a goal, you should ensure it is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. More on that in this article .

4. Practice Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is the power that will keep you committed to your goals even when you feel no motivation at all. Practicing self-discipline is a powerful tool that will ensure you make even the tiniest of progress every single day.

5. Keep Yourself Accountable

Have you ever noticed it is easier to keep commitments to others than to yourself? That is because we are subconsciously aware there is no one to keep us accountable for not coming through with our promises.

To avoid this, make sure to keep yourself accountable by sharing your progress with others. You can do any activity with a friend to keep each other in check, make group chats where each friend shares one daily step they take towards their goals, or share your journey on social media – if that’s your kind of thing.

However, I advise you to share your progress with supportive and non-judgmental people who can make the process enjoyable.

6. Reframe Your Mindset Around Failure

The truth is we take failure too seriously. Why? Because we link the outcomes of our actions with our personal worth. Instead of just being a bit sad about not making things work, we feel like a failure – we take things personally.

Former NASA engineer turned Youtuber Mark Rober did a 2018 TED Talk on a phenomenon he called the “Super Mario effect.” He has previously conducted an experiment with his followers, showing that when we have something to lose – and therefore fail harder – we are less likely to try.

He proposes that the key to success is to “gamify” the process and to mimic the famous Super Mario game. This means focusing on the long-term outcome, not the pitfalls, viewing each failure as a learning opportunity , and making it fun and enjoyable.    

7. Have a Supportive Network

No matter how determined we are, there come times when we have lost faith in our power to go on. This is when you need a net of supportive people to fall on. Share your progress and pitfalls with the cheerleaders in your life and let them provide a fresh perspective, boost your confidence, or simply tell you you’re doing incredible.

If you want to find more strategies to bulk your determination muscle, check out this encouraging article with tips on success and self-determination, written by students with disabilities at the University of Washington.

Determination is the Key to Success: a Conclusion

Determination is about consistently doing your best, having faith in your ability to succeed, and staying committed to your purpose. Determined people are not persevering only when things go well. They are goal-oriented, and their actions are detached from the short-term outcome.

Partnered with other important characteristics, like resilience, determination is the key to success and happiness. So, what say you? In your opinion, is determination the key to success?

Whatever your goals may be, start acting on them today! I am rooting for you!

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My name is Ariadne, but you can call me Annie. I am a medical student with a deep curiosity for life and personal growth. During my earlier student years, I struggled with my mental health and body image. However, that experience was life’s greatest gift - It helped me realize our unlimited potential for evolving and designing the life of our dreams. I enjoy doing yoga and Meditation and I am passionately seeking the intersection between modern and traditional medicine. I try to approach health and wellness through a no-BS filter and provide science-backed information.

One Comment

Having (and making use of) determination is a great skill to harness, and this post really does a great job at explaining how useful it is. I know this is something I personally need to fortify a bit more; I’m generally a determined person but it’s taken a few hits over the last number of years, so I have some work to do with this. Great post!

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Pen What Matters

The Power of Perseverance: Stories of Determination and Success

Short story of perseverance.

Introduction

Perseverance, the unwavering determination to achieve a goal despite obstacles and setbacks, is a quality that can make a significant difference in one’s life. It is the ability to keep going when faced with adversity, maintaining focus and resilience. In this article, we will explore the power of perseverance and its impact on personal growth and success.

Definition of Perseverance

Perseverance can be defined as the steadfast pursuit of a goal or objective, even in the face of challenges, difficulties, and failures. It is the ability to stay committed and motivated, constantly pushing forward despite setbacks and obstacles.

Importance of Perseverance

Perseverance plays a crucial role in achieving success. It separates those who give up easily from those who persist and ultimately reach their goals. It helps individuals develop resilience, determination, and the ability to overcome obstacles, which are essential qualities in both personal and professional spheres.

The Power of Determination

Determination is the driving force behind perseverance. It is the firm decision to pursue a goal with relentless effort. When individuals possess a strong sense of determination, they become unstoppable in the pursuit of their dreams. Determination fuels motivation , resilience, and the willingness to put in the necessary work.

Overcoming Challenges

Challenges are inevitable in life. They test our character, resilience, and ability to adapt. Perseverance enables individuals to face challenges head-on, find solutions, and learn from failures. It instills the mindset that setbacks are temporary roadblocks and not permanent barriers.

Stories of Perseverance in History

Throughout history, there have been numerous inspiring stories of perseverance. From inventors like Thomas Edison , who failed thousands of times before creating the light bulb, to athletes like Michael Jordan, who faced rejection but persisted to become a basketball legend, these individuals exemplify the power of perseverance.

Personal Stories of Perseverance

Perseverance is not limited to famous figures; it can be found in everyday people. Individuals overcoming illnesses, pursuing education while working full-time, or starting their own businesses against all odds demonstrate the strength of human spirit and the determination to succeed.

Strategies to Develop Perseverance

Developing perseverance is a lifelong journey. Here are some strategies to cultivate and strengthen this quality:

• Set clear goals: Clearly define what you want to achieve and create a roadmap to reach your objectives.
• Break tasks into manageable steps: Divide your goals into smaller, achievable tasks to maintain motivation and track progress.
• Stay positive and optimistic: Cultivate a positive mindset and focus on the lessons learned from failures.
• Seek support and accountability: Surround yourself with individuals who motivate and support you, and hold yourself accountable for your actions.
• Embrace failure as a learning opportunity: View failure as a stepping stone to success and learn from mistakes.

The Role of Mindset

Mindset plays a crucial role in developing perseverance. A growth mindset, characterized by the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, fuels perseverance. Embracing challenges, learning from failures, and maintaining a positive attitude are all aspects of a growth mindset.

The Impact of Perseverance on Success

Perseverance is a key predictor of success in various areas of life, including education, career, relationships, and personal growth. Those who persevere through challenges are more likely to achieve their goals, experience personal fulfillment, and inspire others along the way.

Perseverance in Different Areas of Life

Perseverance is not limited to a specific domain; it is applicable to all aspects of life. Whether it’s pursuing a career, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, or building meaningful relationships, perseverance helps individuals navigate obstacles and achieve long-term success.

Perseverance and Emotional Resilience

Perseverance and emotional resilience go hand in hand. Developing perseverance strengthens emotional resilience, enabling individuals to bounce back from setbacks and cope with stress effectively. It fosters mental toughness and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Teaching Perseverance to Children

Instilling perseverance in children is vital for their future success. Parents and educators can teach perseverance by encouraging children to embrace challenges, promoting a growth mindset, and providing support and guidance during difficult times. Teaching resilience at an early age prepares children to overcome obstacles they may encounter later in life.

Famous Quotes on Perseverance

• “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
• “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot
• “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.” – Vince Lombardi

Perseverance is a powerful attribute that can propel individuals towards success, despite the challenges they may face. It is the quality that allows individuals to push beyond their limits, overcome setbacks, and ultimately achieve their goals. By cultivating perseverance and embracing the journey, individuals can transform their lives and inspire others to do the same.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. How can perseverance help me in my personal life? Perseverance can help you overcome personal challenges, achieve your goals, and develop resilience in the face of adversity. It enables personal growth and fosters a positive mindset.

2. Can perseverance be learned or is it an innate trait? Perseverance can be learned and developed over time. While some individuals may naturally possess a higher level of perseverance, everyone can cultivate this quality through practice and determination.

3. What are some famous examples of perseverance? Famous examples of perseverance include Thomas Edison, who failed numerous times before inventing the light bulb, and J.K. Rowling, who faced rejections but persisted in becoming a successful author with the Harry Potter series.

4. How can parents promote perseverance in their children? Parents can promote perseverance by encouraging their children to embrace challenges, teaching them the value of hard work, and providing support and guidance during difficult times. It’s important to foster a growth mindset and teach resilience from an early age.

5. How does perseverance contribute to success in the workplace? Perseverance in the workplace helps individuals overcome obstacles, maintain focus, and achieve their professional goals. It also demonstrates dedication and resilience, qualities highly valued by employers.

Determination Is The Key To Success Essay Example

Have you ever wondered why many individuals who are determined succeed furthermore than others, well you're not alone? Most individuals give up on trying after three to four times of failing. This applies to a range of multiple age groups. Demonstrating how undetermined people are. To be determined, a person must first be enthusiastic about what they are doing, have a clear objective insight, and be prepared to go to any distance to attain that goal.  

'Passion' is as different as a 'hobby' is to a 'dream.' People that aren't enthusiastic than others have a lower chance of success. So, most individuals don't follow through when it comes to achieving anything in their lives. They find it uncomfortable and would prefer to take an easy way than adjust to the unexpected. In this situation, people become careless about things in their life. When people have a good mindset, they are determined to succeed. The desire and drive you get from passion is one essential thing to having determination. An explanation of determination is when you're finishing your homework on time when you are too tired you do it anyway because you want a good grade. It helps you break your boundaries and creates new habits.  

When you have a purpose, you lessen the complication when you do anything for the first time. Having a clear objective when you plan out a simple goal improves your chances of success. Middle-aged women now aim for a 30-minute walk every day to reduce the progression of arthritis. Some other middle-aged women walk 3 hours once a week and have no real plan. The problem here is that there's no consistency and it won't slow down your arthritis. Eventually, they are likely to quit because it won't benefit them. Leaving them with no determination and feeling unhappy. This problem demonstrates how having a simple goal can show high success rates.  

When you have determination, you are willing to go to any extent to achieve your goal and are open to new experiences. So, when you ask your teacher for help, you are embarrassed, you feel that because you are determined to understand the concept of the subject. People in business make enormous sacrifices for their company by investing money, taking loans, and impressing shareholders. These are examples of seeking ways to improve. Most people put 50% effort into what they want in their life or put their goals aside. They make excuses for themselves, with the determination that nothing will get in the way. With this thinking, they've reached a stage of pure determination.  

Determination is what teaches you that success has a price. When things don't go as planned, determination keeps you going. As a consequence, being determined in life has provided many people with a good outlook and happiness. After a series of tries and fails, most people give up. No matter what we do in life, determination is a vital ingredient for success. Within-stated, to be determined; one must first be excited about what one is doing, have a clear goal in sight, and be prepared to go to any extent to accomplish that vision.

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PSYCH 485 blog

Determination: When is it good and When is it bad?

January 24, 2016 by Rashiem Fuquan Page

Is determination in a manager always a positive leadership trait or can that actually become a negative trait? I had a recent conversation with my manager and she said to me “I will do whatever it takes to not let the company fail.”

As we are learning about leadership traits, I found determination as an appropriate subject to discuss in my first blog. Northouse describes determination as “the desire to get the job done and includes characteristics such as initiative, persistence, dominance and drive.”(p. 25)

I found her statement to be very interesting because our conversation was in regards to her micro-managing our department. My manager micro-manages the department leaving me annoyed at times because I have to explain over and over that everything is under control and that she needs to lay back at times. My title and position within the company is assistant production supervisor / lead technician. Her title and position is the production supervisor. I found her statement to be misleading in that I felt that her determination to not let the company fail is exactly why the company will fail.

My manager does not recognize that her determination can actually be hurtful to the company. In my attempt to explain to her that she does not communicate anything of importance such as company change and my responsibilities as the assistant production supervisor and how that leads to the team feeling unsettled in our department. My manager is in the middle of implementing a major change to our department and she did not share or discuss any information in regards to this change with me. The team is hearing about the change through rumors and they have major concerns about this change.

The team is very comfortable with discussing their concerns with me but they are not so comfortable with discussing their concerns with the manager so they lean on me to speak up for them. As I explained more about our overall team concerns, that is when she made her determination quote. She did not care about our concerns but only her own determination to not let the company fail. I then tried to explain that by her taking on so much and not sharing the information with me that she is setting us up to fail. She holds so much information that if she was to miss more than 3-4 days of work, things will not run as a system but instead be chaotic as we try to piece together exactly what she does so that I can pick up the slack or we wait until she gets back. This scenario hasn’t happened because she has never taken a vacation longer than two days in the eight years that she has worked there.

Can determination actually be seen as a negative?

References:

Northouse, P. G. (2015). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). (pp. 18-42) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

January 27, 2016 at 7:56 pm

I like your example of determination in your current place of employment. I agree with you, I think that determination can definitely either help or hurt a project. Looking at your situation specifically, it sounds as thought as your manager is not effectively leading. I believe that there are other leadership traits that are also causing problems in your situations. I have also worked for someone who had a similar style of management, and looking back it did nothing but hurt the rest of our team.

Good communication skills are definitely missing here along with being overly determined, which in the end hurts the entire team. With out having much background on this situation it is hard for me to really say, but I have a feeling that there are other leadership traits that are missing from your situation. I think you need to take a step back and really analyze what is going on in your work place, being overly determined is obviously present but there could also be other factors. Intelligence could play a role here as well; the manager may feel like they are they only one that can make a competent decision. Looking specifically at determination, it is difficult to define what is an acceptable amount and what is excessive. It may all depend on the specific situation and the people involved. I think that in most cases determination helpful but there can be instances where it is also detrimental.

January 25, 2016 at 1:18 pm

I apologize for my accidental early post above, getting back to what I was saying.

Determination is one of those “power” words that we hear so often, but I feel that not many people know exactly how to exactly get to the point where they are able to exactly establish what they are longing for. This is where I believe things can tend to go wrong…

I can relate to you oh to closely about having a manager who is a micro-manager. She wants everything run by her one day and then the next she is telling us that that doesn’t want to have to “babysit”. It can become infuriating, not knowing what type of “manager” she is going to decide to be day-to-day. Stick in there and know that you are not the only one who deals with this kind of drama day to day! One day it will be us in charge, and with the help of this class we will already be one step up from out current “supervisors”!

January 25, 2016 at 1:09 pm

Determination is one of those “power” words that we hear so often.

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Is self-determination good for your effectiveness? A study of factors which influence performance within self-determination theory

Michał szulawski.

1 Institute of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw, Poland

Izabela Kaźmierczak

Monika prusik.

2 Department of Psychology, The University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

Associated Data

All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting information files.

Despite the vast body of studies within self-determination theory, the impact of factors which influence performance in experimental paradigm is still underresearched. The aim of the two studies presented in this paper was to investigate the impact of basic psychological needs on performance with the simultaneous presence of external incentives. Study 1 tested whether the satisfaction of competence and relatedness during task performance (while external incentives were present) can impact individual’s performance. Study 2, on the other hand, investigated whether the basic psychological needs and provision of external incentives can impact an individual’s performance. Moreover, in both studies the mechanisms behind the need–performance relationship was checked. Our results showed that out of the three basic needs, competence had the strongest positive impact on performance, which was partially mediated by the subjective evaluation of the levels of difficulty and intrinsic motivation. The weak relationship between relatedness and task performance was fully mediated by the level of intrinsic motivation.

Introduction

When we asked people a question concerning the reasons why they work, learn, or exercise efficiently, with a high degree of probability they would enumerate some kind of incentives or rewards (remuneration, grades, or bonuses) at the top of their lists. This common belief has almost become an axiom, which can make people reject—or at least undermine—other possible explanations of what could increase the performance of their actions or undertakings. This explanation, often viewed with scepticism, of what (except incentives) can predict or enhance performance, is offered by self-determination theory (SDT); [ 1 – 3 ], which is one of the most often cited theories of human motivation. SDT depicts human beings as having three basic psychological needs which contribute to the development of their intrinsic motivation towards striving, well-being, and performance [ 4 ]. However, understanding of the influence of motivational factors within the theory, such as the three needs and incentives on performance has been mostly studied outside the laboratory contexts [ 5 – 8 ]. The three basic psychological needs of SDT, namely autonomy, competence, and relatedness, are defined as universal and relevant within all people and cultures [ 9 ]. Autonomy involves feeling internal approval of one’s behaviour, thoughts, and emotions rather than feeling controlled or pressured; competence involves feeling efficient and qualified in one’s behaviour, rather than incompetent and ineffective; and relatedness involves feeling meaningfully connected to others, rather than feeling alienated or ostracized. Over the past decades, researchers have established that satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness is critical to most domains of human functioning such as health care [ 10 , 11 ], mental health [ 12 , 13 ], the development of well-being [ 14 , 15 ], the development of intrinsic motivation [ 16 ], engagement at work [ 17 , 18 ], and in sports [ 19 , 20 ] to name a few. However, the links between needs satisfaction and performance has not attracted much attention from researchers [ 6 ].

Basic psychological needs and performance

The way in which autonomy, competence, and relatedness are understood in self-determination theory is quite unique in the performance context [ 6 ]. According to SDT, and in opposition to other needs theories, the three needs do not vary by the extent to which people possess them, but by the extent to which the environment facilitates their satisfaction or frustration [ 9 ]. The main reason for why the three needs could influence performance is that the environments which facilitate the needs build autonomous and intrinsic types of motivation, which consequently improves performance. Extensive research confirms the link between the needs satisfaction and autonomous motivation [ 2 , 21 – 24 ] and between autonomous or intrinsic motivation and performance [ 25 ]. Moreover, recent meta-analysis confirms the relationship between basic needs and performance [ 6 ]. Authors also emphasise that there are other different reasons why they can predict performance, rather than an increase in internal motivation, which are exclusive for each of the needs. For the need for autonomy this is an internal locus of causality for the actions which lead to taking ownership of the action [ 6 , 26 ]; for the need for competence it is the mix of challenge and skill which enables an individual to experience an action which is not too easy and not too difficult, and at the same time to possess skills which are necessary to do or accomplish the activity [ 20 ], and for the need for relatedness it is the well-being of the person during the performance of the action [ 27 ]. However, there is still little research which shows the mechanism of the needs–performance relationship in an experimental context, especially combined with the presence of external incentives. In one research study where all three needs were manipulated experimentally, only competence had a positive impact on performance [ 13 ]. It is worth noting that in most, if not all, environments, such as school, work, or academia, the provision of external incentives (grades, remuneration, rewards) usually coexist with the possibility of supporting or frustrating the three needs (the organization of work, leadership style etc.). As a consequence, it is worth studying simultaneously the influence of both the three needs and incentives on performance.

Incentives and performance

In the context of self-determination theory, investigation of the relationship between incentives and performance has come to, what is called, an uncomfortable conclusion . In the body of research there is evidence for three seemingly true, but incompatible conclusions: (a) incentives boost performance, (b) intrinsic motivation boosts performance, and (c) incentives reduce intrinsic motivation (the undermining or crowding-out effect) [ 25 ]. Authors suggest that the uncomfortable conclusion is only seemingly true, as there was little research which took into consideration the situation where both incentives (extrinsic motivation) and basic psychological needs (intrinsic motivation) are present at the same time, and as there are possible different mechanisms (mediators) of the relationships.

When it comes to incentives and rewards, they are commonly regarded as an adequate means to improve performance [ 28 , 29 ]. Studies concerning incentives usually confirm the positive influence of incentives on individual performance [ 30 – 33 ], especially in short term [ 34 ]. According to meta-analysis the effect sizes of individual incentives on performance ranged from.19 to.39 (for different moderators) with a general effect size of.34 for the individual incentives from 116 studies [ 35 ].

The idea of the undermining effect (or crowding-out effect) also has a long tradition of research in the paradigm of Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET, a mini-theory of Self-Determination Theory) [ 24 ]. The studies have proven that rewards (alongside punishments and deadlines, for instance) may undermine intrinsic motivation towards a given activity by thwarting the need for autonomy (people perceive the reason as to why they do an activity as controlled and not chosen by them) and for competence (the focus is not on learning the activity but on the salient reason for doing it, e.g. a reward) [ 36 – 39 ]. Intrinsic motivation is understood as a ’spontaneous, evolved and inherent propensity (…) to develop through activity, to play, explore, and manipulate things, and by doing so develop competencies and capacities’ [ 24 , p.123].

In two studies we tried to investigate the simultaneous impact of incentives and basic psychological needs on performance.

Current study

The aim of the first study was to test whether the satisfaction of two out of three basic needs,–competence (competence supported or not) and relatedness (relatedness supported or not) during task performance and while external incentives were present can impact individual performance. The predictions of the possible outcomes were based mostly on the meta-analysis of the simultaneous impact of incentives and basic psychological needs on performance [ 6 ], experimental studies on influence of needs on performance [ 13 ] and the assumptions of self-determination theory [ 3 ]. It was suspected that, even though the external incentives were present and salient during the activity and might reduce intrinsic motivation [ 39 , 40 ], support for the need for competence and relatedness should positively influence performance. The meta-analysis showed a stronger relationship between competence and performance [ 6 ], and the experimental study conducted by Sheldon and Filak [ 13 ] showed that only competence (out of the three basic needs) had a positive impact on performance in the game-playing context. The groups with supported competence need should evaluate the task as less challenging, and the perception of a task which was not difficult should result in higher performance [ 41 ]. As a consequence, the relationship between support of the competence need and performance should be mediated by the level of intrinsic motivation and the level of subjective challenge of the task. Supporting the need for competence should result in a higher intrinsic motivation for doing the task, and as a consequence, higher motivation should result in higher performance. Supporting the need for relatedness, on the other hand, should also result in higher intrinsic motivation for doing the task, and higher motivation should result in higher performance [ 24 ]. The support of the need for relatedness should also increase affective well-being, which may have a positive impact on performance. Non-experimental studies suggest that well-being is related to performance [ 42 , 43 ].

Based on the aforementioned theoretical considerations and empirical research, the following three hypotheses were formulated:

• H1: Groups with supported basic psychological needs (competence, relatedness) will have a higher level of task performance.
• H2: The relationship between support of the need for competence and task performance level will be mediated by the level of intrinsic motivation and subjective challenge.
• H3: The relationship between the support of the need for relatedness and task performance level will be mediated by the level of intrinsic motivation and affective well-being.

In the first study participants received remuneration in all conditions for each of the origami figures folded, so the external incentives were present in all conditions. Even though, study 1 has no comparison group without incentives, the conditions in the study reflect the natural job conditions where people receive remuneration for their efforts, and still the environment may be more or less need-supportive.

Study 2 examined whether the basic psychological needs (the three needs: supported vs. frustrated) and provision of external incentives (whether rewards were present or not) can impact the individual’s performance. The predictions and hypotheses were again based on the meta-analysis conducted by Cerasoli [ 6 ] and the assumptions of self-determination theory [ 3 ]. It was assumed that provisions of incentives and support of basic psychological needs would positively impact performance. Out of four experimental groups, the group with both external incentives present and with their basic psychological needs supported would have the highest performance. We posited that even though the incentives in Study 2 are salient (so they can undermine intrinsic motivation) they would have a direct positive impact on performance. The needs–performance relationship would be mediated by intrinsic motivation and by the self-reported measure of the three basic psychological needs.

Three hypotheses were formulated:

• H4: Groups with supported basic psychological needs will have a higher task performance level than the groups without support.
• H5: Groups in which individuals are granted external incentives will have a higher task performance level than the groups without incentives.
• H6: The relationship between the needs support and task performance level will be mediated by the level of intrinsic motivation and level of basic psychological needs (self-report).

Participants

One hundred and eight university students ( N = 54 females) from different Varsavian Universities and different faculties (e.g. Educational Studies, Sociology, IT, German and English Philology) aged 19–33 years ( M = 23.03, SD = 2.96), participated in the study. The protocol of the study was approved by the University’s Ethical Committee. All participants gave written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki before participation.

Instruments

Task performance level was the number of origami figures folded by the participant which ranged from 0 to 10.

Subjective difficulty was measured by a 3-item declarative 10-point scale. The items were as follows:

• ’How difficult will the task of folding origami be for you ? ’ (1—very easy; 10—very difficult)
• ’What are your chances of folding the origami figures well ? ’ (1—a very small chance; 10—a very high probability, verging on certainty)
• ’How much mental effort will folding origami be for you ? ” (1—very little effort; 10—very high effort)

Intrinsic motivation related to laboratory activity was measured with the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) [ 3 , 44 ]. The interest/enjoyment subscale is considered the self-report measure of intrinsic motivation; thus, although the overall questionnaire is called the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory, it is only the one subscale that assesses intrinsic motivation. The subscales have good psychometric properties, with the interest/enjoyment alpha α = .78.

Affective well-being was measured with Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS); [ 45 ]. The short, 20-item, state version of the scale was used. The scale has good psychometric properties, with an alpha α = .80 (positive emotion scale) and.91 (negative emotion scale). Such a measure of well-being was previously used in research on well-being [ 46 – 48 ].

In the study 1, the level of wellbeing was measured with the PWB questionnaire [ 49 ]. The index of wellbeing was not used in the study, it was measured for the purpose of future, follow-up study.

First, the participants were told that they would be taking part in a study about the use of origami in research on learning, which would involve folding simple origami puzzles. Participants who agreed to take part signed in through a computer platform to come for a meeting at a specific date and time. The experiment took place during one, individual meeting in a research room (this was the same for all participants) and lasted about 40 minutes for each participant. The experimenter explained that the participants would be folding origami puzzles and would receive 2 PLN (approx..50 EUR) for each origami figure folded. The participants were told that they could fold as many figures as they liked and after each figure had been folded the experimenter would ask them whether they wanted to fold another figure. The experimenter also explained that the participants would fill in a few questionnaires at the end of the meeting. Next, the experimenter showed the participant an example of a simple origami instruction and asked them to evaluate how difficult/challenging the task of origami folding would be for them (see subjective challenge measure). Each participant was then randomly assigned to one of the four experimental groups according to 2 (competence supported or not) x 2 (relatedness supported or not) experimental design.

The groups differed in the way the experimenter gave instructions on how to fold origami, how he commented on the results, and what he did with the origami which was folded (see needs manipulation procedure below). The rest of the procedure was the same for all the groups. After evaluating the subjective challenge, the experimenter asked the participants whether they wanted to fold the first origami, and if they agreed he gave them the choice of three origami figures to fold; the participant chose one and folded it. Then, the procedure was repeated until the participant said that they did not want to fold any more figures or they reached 10 figures folded (see performance measure). The time for folding origami was not limited, it took on average two to three minutes to fold each origami piece. After that the experimenter asked the participant to fill in a few questionnaires. Then the participant was paid for the number of puzzles they had decided to fold and was asked what they thought about the study and whether they had any questions. Then they were debriefed and thanked.

Needs manipulation procedure—competence . In the groups with enhanced competence need the experimenter gave the participants some short feedback after each of the first three origami puzzles had been folded and then after every second folded figure. The feedback consisted of short comments concerning the way the person folded the origami, for example: ’You’ve done it very skilfully’ or ’You’ve managed to put it together quickly’.

In the groups with no competence enhancement the experimenter gave a short comment after each of the first three origami puzzles had been folded and then after every second folded figure. The comment only concerned the general process of the experiment, for example: ’Ok, thank you’ or ’Ok, we will put it here’, so that the communication process was sustained but without any feedback on the competence.

Needs manipulation procedure—relatedness . In the groups with enhanced relatedness need, the experimenter asked the participants whether he / she could use the folded origami for a workshop he was holding with children the other day, and if the participant agreed, he put the folded origami into the box entitled ’materials for workshop’. All the further origami folded by the participant was also put into the box without any further comment. In the group with no relatedness enhancement the experimenter put all the figures folded by the participant into the box without an inscription and without any further comment.

Data analysis

Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26 software (IBM Corporation, 2019) to compute ANOVA analysis, and Hayes PROCESS Macro v3.5 to compute mediation analyses.

To test the first hypothesis (H1) which was related to the role of competence and relatedness enhancement on task performance level, we ran bootstrapped two-way between-subjects ANOVA ( Table 1 ). There were significant main effects of competence and relatedness according to which enhancement of either competence or relatedness resulted in better task performance (a higher number of origami puzzles folded). Also, the combined effect (interaction) of these two factors was significant. An analysis of simple effects showed that out of four simple effects only one of them was not statistically significant. Within the group in which competence was not supported there was no significant difference ( p = .956, BCa 95% CI [-1.27, 1.26] between relatedness supported ( M = 4.52, SE = 0.48, Bias = .003, BCa 95% CI [3.68, 5.46]) or not supported ( M = 4.56, SE = 0.48, Bias = .010, BCa 95% CI [3.54, 5.56]) on the number of origami puzzles folded. Whenever competence was supported there was a significant difference ( p = .002, BCa 95% CI [-3.23, -0.95]) between relatedness not supported ( M = 5.96, SE = 0.48, Bias = -.015, BCa 95% CI [4.86, 7.07]) and supported ( M = 8.04, SE = 0.48, Bias = .017, BCa 95% CI [7.22, 8.84]). In the group in which relatedness was not supported there was a significant difference at statistical tendency ( p = .060, BCa 95% CI [-2.89, 0.13]) between situations in which competence was not supported ( M = 4.52, SE = 0.48, Bias = .003, BCa 95% CI [3.68, 5.46]) or when competence was supported ( M = 5.96, SE = 0.48, Bias = -.015, BCa 95% CI [4.86, 7.07]). Also, when relatedness was supported there was a significant difference ( p < .001, BCa 95% CI [-4.80, -2.22]) between a situation in which competence was not supported ( M = 4.56, SE = 0.48, Bias = .010, BCa 95% CI [3.54, 5.56]) in contrast to competence being supported ( M = 8.04, SE = 0.48, Bias = .017, BCa 95% CI [7.22, 8.84]). In summary, the highest number of origami puzzles folded occurred in groups in which both competence and relatedness were supported. However, support of any of these needs resulted in better task competition, with the role of competence supported definitely being more important than the role of relatedness. Thus, H1 was entirely confirmed.

N = 108, bootstrap = 2000.

Mediational hypotheses (H2 and H3) were tested using Model 4 in Process ver. 3.5 by Hayes (2018). Allied with H2, the relationship between the support of the need for competence and performance level was partly mediated by both intrinsic motivation and subjective challenge taken together as parallel mediators (overall indirect effect), ab = 0.74, BCa 95% CI [0.29, 1.28], and also separately by subjective challenge (particular indirect effect), ab = 0.38, BCa 95% CI [0.05, 0.82], and by intrinsic motivation (particular indirect effect), ab = 0.36, BCa 95% CI [0.06, 0.74] ( Fig 1 ). In summary, H2 was confirmed.

According to the testing of H3, the mediational effects both for the overall effect of combined mediators (overall indirect effect), ab = 0.36, BCa 95% CI [-0.11, 0.90], and well-being, ab = 0.11, BCa 95% CI [-0.24, 0.49] were not confirmed. However, there was a significant mediational effect of intrinsic motivation, ab = 0.127, BCa 95% CI [0.01, 0.63]. Thus, H3 was only partly supported by our results ( Fig 2 ).

In the first study we attempted to investigate the influence of two of the basic psychological needs (competence and relatedness) on performance. Furthermore, we tried to study the mechanisms of the relationship between the basic needs and performance. A novel and important element of this study was the coexistence of context factors which satisfied the needs with the simultaneous presence of salient external incentives.

In general, the results were in line with Hypothesis 1, which predicted that even with the presence of external incentives, the basic psychological needs impact performance. The positive impact of the need for competence was stronger than that of the relatedness, which corroborates the meta-analysis results in which the overall influence of competence was the strongest of all three needs [ 6 ] and the Sheldon and Filak’s experiment, where only competence predicted performance [ 13 ]. It is worth noting that the rewards received by the participants for folding origami puzzles were salient. The previous studies suggest that the overall need for satisfaction is lower when salient incentives are present [ 6 ]. This could be explained by the undermining effect lowering autonomous or intrinsic motivation for the task, when direct, easy to notice and understand incentives are present [ 37 , 50 ]. Still, the result of our study suggests that even when external rewards are present and salient, satisfaction of the needs may have a positive influence on performance.

The second hypothesis, stating that the relation between the need for competence and task performance is mediated by subjective evaluation of the level of difficulty (subjective challenge) and by the level of intrinsic motivation, has also been confirmed. Indeed, the influence of competence on performance was pa2rtially explained by the subjectively lower challenge of the task (making the task seemingly easier) which further resulted in higher performance. We believe that by giving positive feedback on participants’ competence, the new task they were doing was perceived as easier and as a consequence closer to their optimal level of challenge. Studies suggest that the challenge which is perceived as optimal (not too easy and not too difficult) is positively related to performance [ 20 , 51 , 52 ]. The second mediator, intrinsic motivation, explained the relation between competence and performance to a lesser extent (statistical tendency). According to SDT, intrinsic motivation is related to performance, especially in the qualitative task [ 25 ]. However, it is again worth noting that the results were achieved even with the presence of external rewards. Finally, both mediators explained only part of the relation, and the direct effect of competence on performance persisted, which may be explained by the rise of self-efficacy, which is a well-evidenced antecedent of performance, but which we did not measure in our study [ 41 ].

Hypothesis 3, stating that the relation between relatedness support and performance level will be mediated by the level of intrinsic motivation and well-being, has only been partially confirmed. Firstly, the influence of relatedness on performance was not strong (statistical tendency), and the relation was mediated inclusively and fully by the level of intrinsic motivation, but not by the level of well-being. The rise of intrinsic motivation, and as a consequence slightly better performance due to relatedness need support, is in line with the assumptions of the SDT [ 3 ]. The meta-analysis also showed that relatedness has a much smaller influence overall on performance than competence, which seems to be true also when the external incentives are present [ 6 ]. The lack of relation between the relatedness and well-being may be connected with the way the relatedness was manipulated in this study. Contrary to other studies, the relatedness was enhanced not by the ’good rapport’ between the experimenter and the participant [ 13 ], but by the promise of a socially useful purpose for the origami puzzles created during the experiment.

Two hundred young adults ( N = 119 females) took part in the study. The participants were students (on courses such as Educational Studies, Sociology, Engineering, English Philology, and Philosophy) and employees from different companies (e.g. recruitment staff, IT workers, teachers) aged 18–34 years ( M = 21.67, SD = 2.59). The protocol of the study was approved by the University’s Ethical Committee. Before participation all participants gave written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Task performance was measured by the sum of words found while playing Boggle in the first and second trials.

Basic psychological were assessed with the scale used by Sheldon for the experiment with needs manipulation [ 13 ]. The scale comprises of 9 items, three for each of the need. All items were administered with a 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) scale. The subscales have robust psychometric properties with alpha α = .70 (autonomy), α = .80 (competence), α = .81 (relatedness).

First, the participants were told that they would be taking part in a study about the use of games in research on learning, which would involve playing some kind of board game. Participants who agreed to take part signed in through a computer platform to come for a meeting at a specific date and time. The experiment took place in an individual meeting in a research room (this was the same for all participants) and lasted about 30 minutes for each participant. After entering the research room, the participants were informed that during the meeting they were going to learn how to play the game Boggle and fill in a few questionnaires. Furthermore, they were provided with informed consent with information about the anonymity of the results and voluntary participation. Each participant was then randomly assigned to one of the four groups align with 2 (reward / no reward) x 2 (needs supported vs needs frustrated) experiment design.

The groups differed in the way the experimenter gave instructions on how to play Boggle, how he commented on the results, and whether the participant received a reward for good performance (see the needs and reward manipulation procedures described below). The rest of the procedure was the same for all the groups and described below. The experimenter explained the rules of how to play Boggle to the participants, and that the higher the number of words the participant found, the better (see performance measurement). Then the participants played Boggle for the first time (the trial play) and subsequently a second time. The time for each player’s turn was limited to 3 minutes, as in the original rules of the game. After playing Boggle participants filled in the three questionnaires—the Intrinsic Motivation Questionnaire, and the Sheldon Needs Measure. Then the participants were asked what they thought about the study and whether they had any questions, and they were debriefed and thanked.

Reward manipulation procedure . After signing the informed consent in the groups where rewards were given to the participants, they were told that if they performed well during the Boggle game (i.e. they found more words than the average participant) they would receive a 45 PLN (approx. 10 EUR) voucher which could be used in the local grocery shop. At the end of the research, after filling in the questionnaires and before the debrief, all the participants from the reward group received the vouchers (they were told that they performed well, no matter if it was true or not). In the groups without reward the participants simply received information that the main rule of Boggle is that the more words you find the better.

Needs manipulation procedure (adjusted from Sheldon & Filak [ 13 ] ) . In the groups where the needs were enhanced , the instructions on how to play Boggle and the results of each turn were modified so that the three basic psychological needs were supported. The examples before the first game were as follows.

Before you begin, I would like you to remember that :

• People who start playing the game usually don’t manage to find too many words . Try to do your best , you will learn quickly , I have confidence in your ability (competence) .
• I would like you to know that you and your style of playing is important for us . Try to remember what kind of strategies you used during the game so we can talk about it later and use it as advice for other players (relatedness) .
• I would like you to play this game in your own way , try to get to know this game and play with it . You can choose one of the three matrices (autonomy) .

The instructions between the first and second game were:

• You quickly figured out how to play , you did well (competence) .
• Remember that you and your individual style of playing is important , try to remember your playing strategies for future participants (relatedness) .
• You can play this game using many different approaches , try to find those which suit you the best . Choose one of the matrices (three options) and tell me when you are ready to start (autonomy) .

In the groups with needs deprived the instructions on how to play Boggle and the results of each turn were modified so that the three basic psychological needs were frustrated. The examples before the first game were as follows.

• People who start playing the game usually don’t manage to find too many words , but maybe you will be lucky (competence) .
• In this study we are only interested in the group results as whole . Keep your observations to yourself as we go through the procedure (relatedness) .
• In this experiment you have to proceed exactly according to the instructions which experimenter will give you and play according to the rules . You will start with this matrix (no choice of matrix given) (autonomy) .

The instructions given between the first and second game were:

• Beginner’s luck or you weren’t lucky this time (no matter if the participant succeeded or not, luck instead of competence is emphasised—competence).
• (Not asking about the impressions or individual observations when such questions or comments are expected after the first trial game—relatedness).
• In the next game you will find words in this matrix . The time starts now (no matrix choice was given, and the participant started when the experimenter asked him/her to do so—autonomy).

Again, we started the analytical work with two-way between subjects bootstrapped ANOVA to test the first hypothesis in Study 2 (H4). Results are presented in Table 2 . The interaction effect of external incentives and needs supported was not significant, neither was the main effect of external incentives. The main effect of needs supported was significant and it indicated that the group with needs supported presented significantly better in task performance in comparison to the group without needs supported. This confirms H4 but does not confirm H5.

N = 200, bootstrap = 2000.

Based on mediational analysis with the four parallel mediators (intrinsic motivation, autonomy, competence, relatedness), H6 was partly confirmed ( Fig 3 ). The overall total effect was not significant, ab = 0.38, BCa 95% CI [-0.40, 1.22], as well a particular indirect effect for: intrinsic motivation, ab = 0.17, BCa 95% CI [-0.31, 0.71], autonomy, ab = -0.69, BCa 95% CI [-1.31, -0.14], relatedness, ab = 0.01, BCa 95% CI [-0.13, 0.16], except for a significant indirect effect for competence, ab = 0.89, BCa 95% CI [0.24, 1.63] ( Fig 3 ). Competence was a significant mediator of the relationship between needs support and task performance. In conclusion, H6 was only partly confirmed.

In Study 2 we investigated the influence of the basic psychological needs (a context which either supported or frustrated the needs) and rewards on performance (which were either present or absent). Furthermore, we studied the mechanisms of the needs–performance relationship. A novel and important element of this study was the coexistence of context factors which satisfied the needs, with the simultaneous presence of salient external incentives. The results confirmed Hypothesis 4 which stated that supported basic psychological needs will have a higher level of performance in the accomplished task than the groups without support. The satisfaction of needs corroborates the results of studies where needs increase performance [ 6 ]. However, our further mediational analysis, which was a consequence of verifying Hypothesis 6, and which stated that the relationship between the needs support and performance level will be mediated by the level of intrinsic motivation and the self-reported level of basic psychological needs, was only partially confirmed. The analysis showed that the context which supported the needs during the experiment worked only on the needs of competence and autonomy, and out of these two needs only competence had a positive impact on performance and the need for autonomy, to our surprise, had a negative effect on performance. The meta-analysis suggests that the satisfaction of all three needs should have a positive impact on performance, with competence being its strongest predictor [ 6 ]. However, in the experiment conducted by [ 13 ] out of three needs only competence was a strong predictor of performance. It is especially worth noting, as in the current study, both the elements of the manipulation and the measure of performance (the Boggle game) were adjusted from the Sheldon and Filak [ 13 ] study.

Some studies suggest that autonomy has no impact on performance. For example, although the implementation of autonomous workgroups in a manufacturing environment resulted in a higher and lasting job satisfaction for employees, it had no consequences for work performance [ 53 ]. The findings of Saragih [ 54 ] can explain this. She showed that it is the self-efficacy that mediated the relationship between job autonomy and job performance. The question is whether enhancing the autonomy need might lead to a deterioration of the self-efficacy in certain situations (for example during performing a new task) and negatively impact performance. Moreover [ 55 ], found that the need for autonomy is associated with an avoidance of restrictive environments (such as constraints and rules). This suggests that the motivating role of the autonomy might be limited to some conditions. We can ask what if the aim of the task is entertaining (to take part in a study, play a game) and time is limited? The participants of Study 2, in the enhanced needs condition, were encouraged to experiment with the game Boggle (as a part of autonomy support), which they were playing for the first time and where the game itself lasted for a short time (2x3 minutes), even if they enjoyed the ’given autonomy’ in playing, they might have a need for more instructional (and less autonomous) forms of interaction, and an explanation of how to play, in order to play it correctly [ 56 ]. On the other hand, the explanation may be different, for the new task, the participants might have not taken the ownership of the action, which authors of SDT suggest is crucial for the support of the need of autonomy. The participants of the study took part in a new activity in a new environment and they were looking at the experimenter to guide them, even though he or she wanted to provide them more freedom of choice [ 6 , 8 ].

Similar explanation may be offered to explain why the manipulation did not affect the relatedness need. The relatedness need support instruction was based on emphasising the interest of the experimenter in the participants’ strategies of playing the game and their usefulness for other participants. However, giving participants autonomy during the game might have been perceived as leaving them without actual support (not telling them how to play a new game). Furthermore, the manipulation had a positive effect on intrinsic motivation, which is in line with the results. Nevertheless, the intrinsic motivation was not associated with higher performance. The participants of the study felt inherent enjoyment in playing the game, but this did not translate into performance. In other words, if participants had more time for autonomous experimentation (enhanced autonomy) and inherent enjoyment of playing the game (intrinsic motivation) with time their performance would probably be also positively affected [ 3 ].

Another hypothesis (H5) stating that individuals who were granted external incentives will have a higher level of performance than the groups without incentives in the accomplished task, was not confirmed by our study. The hypothesis was formulated based on both SDT, which states that incentives build external forms of motivation [ 3 ] and studies and meta-analyses of incentive–performance relationships from outside SDT [ 31 , 35 ]. We suggest that the reward for good performance might have caused the participants to focus on the reward instead of on the game and caused them to feel the additional stress of trying to earn the reward. Such results were confirmed in some earlier studies [ 57 – 59 ]. As a consequence, the reward’s positive motivational influence was eliminated by the additional stress that it caused.

General discussion and conclusions

In the series of two studies, we tried to investigate the simultaneous impact of incentives and basic psychological needs on performance. Both studies confirmed that the need for competence had the strongest positive influence on performance. Study 1 showed that support of competence can influence performance directly, as well as through the decreasing subjective difficulty of the task and through increasing intrinsic motivation. These results are in line with earlier studies which did not, however, include extrinsic incentives in the study design [ 6 , 13 ]. The need for autonomy (which was investigated only in Study 2) had a negative impact on performance. We assume that we achieved this effect mainly due to the fact that participants were taking part in a new and short task, which perhaps required a less autonomous, and more instructional kind of support from the experimenter in order to increase the participants’ effectiveness, or more time for the participants [ 56 ]. Relatedness had a low positive impact on performance in Study 1 (fully mediated by intrinsic motivation) and no impact in Study 2. Out of the three needs, the meta-analysis showed that relatedness is the least correlated to performance [ 6 ], and the study by [ 13 ] showed no impact of relatedness on performance.

Summing up we can draw a few conclusions from the two conducted studies:

• in the context of performance (even when the external incentives are present) competence is the strongest and most certain predictor of performance,
• relatedness and autonomy need more study in order to check their impact on performance. It is worth studying autonomy in different types of tasks (especially comparing new vs. known tasks), and both autonomy and relatedness are worth studying with tasks which last longer than in our study,
• in general, the impact of needs and incentives on performance are worth studying simultaneously, as this is how they co-exist in ’real life’ (i.e. outside the laboratory),
• in educational, occupational and sports contexts, where external incentives are the basic motivators (grades, bonuses, rewards) it is worth to introduce some interventions which may increase the support of the competence need (trainings, feedback, coaching) in order to increase individual performance of students, employees or athletes. The increase of competence support may influence the performance to a greater extent than the support of other needs. It is worth noting however, that in our study we investigated the influence of needs during the task which was interesting (games, putting together origami) and involved some cognitive capabilities and the results may not apply to the context of more imitative or reproductive kind of work (e.g. endurance type of sports or working at the assembly line).

Study limitations and further research suggestion

Although, in general, the results confirmed most of our expectations, more research in this field is still needed. The biggest limitation of Study 1 is its sample. This study should be replicated with a more diversified and bigger sample of participants. In Study 2 it would be beneficial to divide the needs supported group into three separate groups where three basic psychological needs would be manipulated separately.

Supporting information

Funding statement.

MS 2017/01/X/HS6/01822 Polish Ministry of Education (NCN) The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Data Availability

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Procrastination Psychology: Understanding Effects, Causes, and Solutions

What is procrastination?

The word procrastination comes from the Latin procrastinare:  “deferred until tomorrow” and the Greek akrasia:  “acting against one’s better judgment.” The word itself suggests that procrastination is an active process: you choose to do something other than the task at hand, despite knowing that its delay will cause you to suffer in the future. 

Procrastination can vary from chronic (perpetual problems finishing tasks) to situational (the delaying of tasks that may seem unattractive or boring). At some point in our lives, nearly everyone has delayed completing a task, with a number of studies showing that “procrastination appears to go hand-in-hand with the human condition.” Numbers are particularly high among students, with 80-95% of this group being estimated to engage in procrastination. 

Dr. Joseph Ferrari , professor of psychology at DePaul University and a leading voice in the study of procrastination, says that a true procrastinator “has twelve things to do, maybe does one or two of them, then rewrites the list, shuffles it around, then makes an extra copy of it. That’s procrastinating.” 

Procrastinators often seek “ephemeral pleasures” such as watching a TV show or spending time with friends instead of working on an important task. This type of procrastination is easy to identify. However, procrastination may take a more subtle form, disguised as the pursuit of “ephemeral chores.” If you have ever convinced yourself that organizing your spice cabinet or color-coding your agenda is more important than starting a task, you may employ this form of procrastination disguised as productivity. 

The harmful effects of procrastination 

Contrary to popular belief, procrastination is not caused by poor time management or a fear of failure. Rather, studies show that procrastination is due to self-regulation failure and a poor ability to manage emotions. Procrastinators recognize the harmful effects of putting tasks off, but can’t overcome the emotional urge of a diversion. 

When discussing procrastination, Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius reminded himself to “stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you,” suggesting that the Romans had insight into the causes of procrastination that psychologists are studying today. According to  Dr. Timothy Pychyl , author of  Solving the Procrastination Puzzle , “emotional regulation is the real story around procrastination because, to the extent that I can deal with my emotions, I can stay on task.” 

The link between procrastination and struggles with self-regulation can play a role in substance abuse disorders or impulse control, suggesting that missing a deadline or rushing to finish a task can have more severe consequences than a bad grade or poor performance at work. The poor emotional regulation that comes with a tendency to procrastinate can also lead to a higher likelihood of developing mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, and even bipolar disorder. 

Choosing short-term rewards over long-term benefits

Several studies have linked procrastination to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and overall poor mental health. One of the  earliest studies to investigate the negative effects of procrastination followed a group of students throughout the course of a semester in 1997. Students who engaged in procrastination experienced less stress at the beginning of the semester, but their bliss was short-lived. By the end of the semester, the procrastinators not only earned lower grades than other students but also reported significantly higher stress levels and cases of illness, suggesting that procrastination had an influence not only on their performance but on their overall well-being. 

When it comes to the link between procrastination and mental health conditions, it can be hard to identify which came first. The decreased energy, negative thoughts, and low self-esteem that come with depression can lead us to believe we cannot carry out the task at hand. In turn, putting off important tasks can increase our stress levels, decrease our self-worth and lead to elevated levels of anxiety and a higher likelihood of depression. A 2017 study found that the way participants felt influenced how and when they approached a task. Similarly, in research settings, people who procrastinate have higher levels of stress and lower well-being.

Don’t delay: take care of your mental health today

Due to the complicated underlying causes that lead us to procrastinate, telling a procrastinator to “just do it” can be as counterproductive as telling a person who suffers from depression to “cheer up.” 

Training your mind and body to prioritize important tasks may be difficult, but the long-term benefits can not only improve your professional and academic performance but also improve your mental health and overall well-being. 

3 tips to help you procrastinate less

Change the narrative.

Due to the reciprocal nature of the link between mental health and procrastination, approaching tasks with a more positive outlook can trick your brain into prioritizing them instead of dreading them. Instead of seeing tasks as something you have to do, reframe them from a more positive point of view. 

Instead, try:  

“I can’t wait to show off my writing skills in this paper”

“Studying this topic is going to set me up for success in my career”

“This project is a great chance to showcase my analytical skills to my manager”

Practice self-compassion

A  2012 study that looked at the links between procrastination, stress, and self-compassion found that lower levels of self-compassion can lead to higher stress levels and a greater tendency to procrastinate. Lower self-esteem reduces our confidence in completing a task, leading our bodies and minds to opt for the short-lived pleasure of avoidance, instead of the long-term reward of overcoming a task. 

Ways to increase self-esteem and practice self-compassion can include the following: 

Forgive yourself for your mistakes

Take care of your body and mind with a healthy diet and exercise

Be kind to yourself

Acknowledge your strengths 

Recognize your weaknesses not as shortcomings, but as opportunities for improvement

Create a reward system

Our tendency to procrastinate is intrinsically connected with the regulation of our emotions. When we procrastinate, we often choose immediate pleasure over long-term reward. By creating a reward system, you can train your mind to associate accomplishing difficult tasks with positive emotions. 

Try rewarding yourself with a refreshing walk after completing half of the day’s tasks (just remember to get back on track) or spend time with friends getting coffee once you complete a hard assignment. 

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/why-boeing-may-not-face-charges-even-though-the-u-s-says-it-violated-a-2021-settlement

Why Boeing may not face charges even though the U.S. says it violated a 2021 settlement

The Justice Department’s determination that Boeing violated corporate probation for deceiving federal regulators does not necessarily mean federal prosecutors will revive criminal charges against the giant aircraft manufacturer.

But we should know within weeks whether Boeing will face another day in court.

READ MORE: Former Boeing manager who raised safety concerns found dead

The Justice Department said in a court filing Tuesday that Boeing had violated terms of a 2021 settlement that allowed it to avoid prosecution for actions that led up to two deadly crashes involving the company’s 737 Max jetliners more than five years ago.

Prosecutors indicated they haven’t decided what to do next. What follows is an explanation of the Justice Department’s options and other things to know about the case.

What is Boeing accused of?

The Justice Department says Boeing failed to meet terms of the settlement, which required the company to set up and maintain a program to detect and prevent violations of U.S. anti-fraud laws. Notably, the government did not say whether Boeing actually committed any acts of fraud.

Why was Boeing on probation?

The crashes, which happened in Indonesia in 2018 and in Ethiopia in 2019, killed a total of 346 people. After the second one, the Justice Department investigated how Boeing convinced the Federal Aviation Administration to certify the 737 Max. Prosecutors determined that Boeing committed fraud against the United States by deceiving the FAA about elements of a key flight-control system that was later implicated in the crashes.

Boeing and the Justice Department secretly negotiated a settlement – called a deferred prosecution agreement – in which Boeing blamed the deception on two low-level employees and agreed to pay $2.5 billion, mostly to its airline customers. In exchange, the government agreed to drop a single criminal count of fraud if Boeing kept clean for three years.

What role did Boeing’s current problems play?

The three-year probationary period was about to expire when a door plug on a new 737 Max blew out during Alaska Airlines flight 1282 in January. The incident prompted new investigations of the company, including one by the Justice Department. Accident investigators determined that four bolts that help secure the door plug were missing after the panel was removed for work at a Boeing factory near Seattle.

WATCH: Boeing cancels its first astronaut launch because of a valve issue on the rocket

Boeing told federal officials it had no documentation about the repair job. At a meeting last month with families of people killed in the Max crashes, Justice Department officials said Boeing’s lack of information could be a violation of the settlement agreement, according to two lawyers who were present.

The FBI told passengers on the Alaska flight they might be victims of a crime.

What does Boeing say?

The Arlington, Virginia, company disputes the Justice Department’s finding.

“We believe that we have honored the terms of that agreement, and look forward to the opportunity to respond to the Department on this issue,” a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement. The company said it has always been transparent in its communications about the agreement, “including in response to (the Justice Department’s) questions following the Alaska Airlines 1282 accident.”

What happens next?

Boeing has until June 13 to formally respond to the allegation that it violated the deferred prosecution agreement, which was filed in federal district court in Fort Worth, Texas. The Justice Department said it would consider the company’s comments “in determining whether to pursue prosecution.”

Prosecutors said they would meet in Washington on May 31 with families of passengers who died in the two Max crashes to explain the determination that Boeing has failed to comply with the settlement and get relatives’ input. Family members were angry and disappointed after a similar meeting last month.

What options do prosecutors have?

The Justice Department told U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor — who upheld the 2021 agreement — that Boeing could be prosecuted for any crime the government knows about, but it did not say what those might be. The department also did not disclose the alleged actions by the company that prosecutors determined breached the 2021 settlement.

Although government prosecutors could revive their original fraud charge, they also may choose to keep Boeing on probation for the 737 Max-related fraud or to ask the judge to permanently dismiss the charge – in effect, ending the case.

It would be unusual — but not unprecedented — for the government to call off a corporate plea deal. Last year, Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson pleaded guilty and paid a $206 million criminal penalty after breaking a deferred prosecution agreement.

The Justice Department said it would notify the judge of its decision about Boeing no later than July 7.

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What is climate change mitigation and why is it urgent?

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• Climate change mitigation involves actions to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.
• Mitigation efforts include transitioning to renewable energy sources, enhancing energy efficiency, adopting regenerative agricultural practices and protecting and restoring forests and critical ecosystems.
• Effective mitigation requires a whole-of-society approach and structural transformations to reduce emissions and limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
• International cooperation, for example through the Paris Agreement, is crucial in guiding and achieving global and national mitigation goals.
• Mitigation efforts face challenges such as the world's deep-rooted dependency on fossil fuels, the increased demand for new mineral resources and the difficulties in revamping our food systems.
• These challenges also offer opportunities to improve resilience and contribute to sustainable development.

What is climate change mitigation?

Climate change mitigation refers to any action taken by governments, businesses or people to reduce or prevent greenhouse gases, or to enhance carbon sinks that remove them from the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun in our planet’s atmosphere, keeping it warm. 

Since the industrial era began, human activities have led to the release of dangerous levels of greenhouse gases, causing global warming and climate change. However, despite unequivocal research about the impact of our activities on the planet’s climate and growing awareness of the severe danger climate change poses to our societies, greenhouse gas emissions keep rising. If we can slow down the rise in greenhouse gases, we can slow down the pace of climate change and avoid its worst consequences.

Reducing greenhouse gases can be achieved by:

• Shifting away from fossil fuels : Fossil fuels are the biggest source of greenhouse gases, so transitioning to modern renewable energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power, and advancing sustainable modes of transportation, is crucial.
• Improving energy efficiency : Using less energy overall – in buildings, industries, public and private spaces, energy generation and transmission, and transportation – helps reduce emissions. This can be achieved by using thermal comfort standards, better insulation and energy efficient appliances, and by improving building design, energy transmission systems and vehicles.
• Changing agricultural practices : Certain farming methods release high amounts of methane and nitrous oxide, which are potent greenhouse gases. Regenerative agricultural practices – including enhancing soil health, reducing livestock-related emissions, direct seeding techniques and using cover crops – support mitigation, improve resilience and decrease the cost burden on farmers.
• The sustainable management and conservation of forests : Forests act as carbon sinks , absorbing carbon dioxide and reducing the overall concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Measures to reduce deforestation and forest degradation are key for climate mitigation and generate multiple additional benefits such as biodiversity conservation and improved water cycles.
• Restoring and conserving critical ecosystems : In addition to forests, ecosystems such as wetlands, peatlands, and grasslands, as well as coastal biomes such as mangrove forests, also contribute significantly to carbon sequestration, while supporting biodiversity and enhancing climate resilience.
• Creating a supportive environment : Investments, policies and regulations that encourage emission reductions, such as incentives, carbon pricing and limits on emissions from key sectors are crucial to driving climate change mitigation.

Photo: Stephane Bellerose/UNDP Mauritius

Photo: La Incre and Lizeth Jurado/PROAmazonia

What is the 1.5°C goal and why do we need to stick to it?

In 2015, 196 Parties to the UN Climate Convention in Paris adopted the Paris Agreement , a landmark international treaty, aimed at curbing global warming and addressing the effects of climate change. Its core ambition is to cap the rise in global average temperatures to well below 2°C above levels observed prior to the industrial era, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.

The 1.5°C goal is extremely important, especially for vulnerable communities already experiencing severe climate change impacts. Limiting warming below 1.5°C will translate into less extreme weather events and sea level rise, less stress on food production and water access, less biodiversity and ecosystem loss, and a lower chance of irreversible climate consequences.

To limit global warming to the critical threshold of 1.5°C, it is imperative for the world to undertake significant mitigation action. This requires a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent before 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century.

What are the policy instruments that countries can use to drive mitigation?

Everyone has a role to play in climate change mitigation, from individuals adopting sustainable habits and advocating for change to governments implementing regulations, providing incentives and facilitating investments. The private sector, particularly those businesses and companies responsible for causing high emissions, should take a leading role in innovating, funding and driving climate change mitigation solutions. 

International collaboration and technology transfer is also crucial given the global nature and size of the challenge. As the main platform for international cooperation on climate action, the Paris Agreement has set forth a series of responsibilities and policy tools for its signatories. One of the primary instruments for achieving the goals of the treaty is Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) . These are the national climate pledges that each Party is required to develop and update every five years. NDCs articulate how each country will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhance climate resilience.   While NDCs include short- to medium-term targets, long-term low emission development strategies (LT-LEDS) are policy tools under the Paris Agreement through which countries must show how they plan to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century. These strategies define a long-term vision that gives coherence and direction to shorter-term national climate targets.

Photo: Mucyo Serge/UNDP Rwanda

Photo: William Seal/UNDP Sudan

At the same time, the call for climate change mitigation has evolved into a call for reparative action, where high-income countries are urged to rectify past and ongoing contributions to the climate crisis. This approach reflects the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which advocates for climate justice, recognizing the unequal historical responsibility for the climate crisis, emphasizing that wealthier countries, having profited from high-emission activities, bear a greater obligation to lead in mitigating these impacts. This includes not only reducing their own emissions, but also supporting vulnerable countries in their transition to low-emission development pathways.

Another critical aspect is ensuring a just transition for workers and communities that depend on the fossil fuel industry and its many connected industries. This process must prioritize social equity and create alternative employment opportunities as part of the shift towards renewable energy and more sustainable practices.

For emerging economies, innovation and advancements in technology have now demonstrated that robust economic growth can be achieved with clean, sustainable energy sources. By integrating renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind and geothermal power into their growth strategies, these economies can reduce their emissions, enhance energy security and create new economic opportunities and jobs. This shift not only contributes to global mitigation efforts but also sets a precedent for sustainable development.

What are some of the challenges slowing down climate change mitigation efforts?

Mitigating climate change is fraught with complexities, including the global economy's deep-rooted dependency on fossil fuels and the accompanying challenge of eliminating fossil fuel subsidies. This reliance – and the vested interests that have a stake in maintaining it – presents a significant barrier to transitioning to sustainable energy sources.

The shift towards decarbonization and renewable energy is driving increased demand for critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth metals. Since new mining projects can take up to 15 years to yield output, mineral supply chains could become a bottleneck for decarbonization efforts. In addition, these minerals are predominantly found in a few, mostly low-income countries, which could heighten supply chain vulnerabilities and geopolitical tensions.

Furthermore, due to the significant demand for these minerals and the urgency of the energy transition, the scaled-up investment in the sector has the potential to exacerbate environmental degradation, economic and governance risks, and social inequalities, affecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and workers. Addressing these concerns necessitates implementing social and environmental safeguards, embracing circular economy principles, and establishing and enforcing responsible policies and regulations .

Agriculture is currently the largest driver of deforestation worldwide. A transformation in our food systems to reverse the impact that agriculture has on forests and biodiversity is undoubtedly a complex challenge. But it is also an important opportunity. The latest IPCC report highlights that adaptation and mitigation options related to land, water and food offer the greatest potential in responding to the climate crisis. Shifting to regenerative agricultural practices will not only ensure a healthy, fair and stable food supply for the world’s population, but also help to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  

Photo: UNDP India

Photo: Nino Zedginidze/UNDP Georgia

What are some examples of climate change mitigation?

In Mauritius , UNDP, with funding from the Green Climate Fund, has supported the government to install battery energy storage capacity that has enabled 50 MW of intermittent renewable energy to be connected to the grid, helping to avoid 81,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. 

In Indonesia , UNDP has been working with the government for over a decade to support sustainable palm oil production. In 2019, the country adopted a National Action Plan on Sustainable Palm Oil, which was collaboratively developed by government, industry and civil society representatives. The plan increased the adoption of practices to minimize the adverse social and environmental effects of palm oil production and to protect forests. Since 2015, 37 million tonnes of direct greenhouse gas emissions have been avoided and 824,000 hectares of land with high conservation value have been protected.

In Moldova and Paraguay , UNDP has helped set up Green City Labs that are helping build more sustainable cities. This is achieved by implementing urban land use and mobility planning, prioritizing energy efficiency in residential buildings, introducing low-carbon public transport, implementing resource-efficient waste management, and switching to renewable energy sources. 

UNDP has supported the governments of Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Indonesia to implement results-based payments through the REDD+ (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries) framework. These include payments for environmental services and community forest management programmes that channel international climate finance resources to local actors on the ground, specifically forest communities and Indigenous Peoples. 

UNDP is also supporting small island developing states like the Comoros to invest in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure. Through the Africa Minigrids Program , solar minigrids will be installed in two priority communities, Grand Comore and Moheli, providing energy access through distributed renewable energy solutions to those hardest to reach.

And in South Africa , a UNDP initative to boost energy efficiency awareness among the general population and improve labelling standards has taken over commercial shopping malls.

What is UNDP’s role in supporting climate change mitigation?

UNDP aims to assist countries with their climate change mitigation efforts, guiding them towards sustainable, low-carbon and climate-resilient development. This support is in line with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to affordable and clean energy (SDG7), sustainable cities and communities (SDG11), and climate action (SDG13). Specifically, UNDP’s offer of support includes developing and improving legislation and policy, standards and regulations, capacity building, knowledge dissemination, and financial mobilization for countries to pilot and scale-up mitigation solutions such as renewable energy projects, energy efficiency initiatives and sustainable land-use practices. 

With financial support from the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund, UNDP has an active portfolio of 94 climate change mitigation projects in 69 countries. These initiatives are not only aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also at contributing to sustainable and resilient development pathways.

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