Determination Makes the Difference in Personal Development

Today I want to focus on the role determination plays in your personal development. There are many factors to being successful as you well know, but determination is one of those difference makers (one of those elements that distinguishes those who succeed from those who fail).
Have you ever put together a particularly challenging puzzle? One with a thousand or more pieces that took many hours and several days to complete? One that you wanted to keep together once it was finished?
I can remember working on a few puzzles like that with my wife and children. At the time I don't think I realized the connection to personal development, but now I do.
When the puzzles were finished we would leave them out on the table for a few weeks so we could admire our handiwork each time we passed by. Sometimes we discovered there were pieces or whole sections of pieces mysteriously out of place (possibly moved by our curious cat, or one of the kids). After a few careful reconstructions we would decide it was time to glue the puzzle onto some cardboard to make sure the pieces would stay in place.
Well, working to achieve a goal is kind of like putting together one of those puzzles. Whether it's working on a degree, setting out on a new career path, improving a relationship, building a business, losing weight, or training for an ironman, it takes a lot of hard work and time to make all the pieces fit. Once you're well on your way to achieving the goal, it's nice to step back and admire your handiwork and feel proud of yourself. But then, as time goes by, some of the pieces get out of place, and some can go missing completely, resulting in more time and effort picking up those pieces and making them fit once again.
Determination is the glue that holds the pieces of your puzzle together. Determination is what keeps you in the action mode, consistently doing the tedious, unpleasant or difficult, daily tasks that move you closer and closer to the achievement of your goals. Webster defines Determination as "the act of coming to a decision" and a "firm or fixed purpose".
When you put your pieces together, if you want them to stay there, you'll need to add the glue. Make a decision to secure those pieces together permanently. Fix your purpose and remain in the action taking mode. Determination is a difference maker - let it make a difference in your personal development
George Morse