In this episode, Ally connects determination to the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset hears difficulty as a verdict: this is proof I can’t do it. A growth mindset hears the same difficulty as information: this is where I learn how. She explains that determination isn’t loud motivation or stubbornness — it’s the decision to stay engaged after the first failure. The person with a fixed mindset protects their pride by quitting early. The person with a growth mindset protects their future by continuing, even when progress feels embarrassingly small.

She points out that most people misunderstand determination as intensity. In reality it’s consistency. Determination shows up as returning to the same effort the next day after a discouraging one. It’s practicing a skill badly while knowing you’re practicing it badly, and choosing not to interpret that as personal inadequacy. Ally emphasizes that improvement rarely feels heroic while it’s happening; it feels repetitive, sometimes boring, and often uncomfortable. The fixed mindset avoids discomfort because it threatens identity. The growth mindset accepts discomfort because it builds ability.

By the end of the discussion, she reframes determination as a habit rather than a personality trait. Listeners are encouraged to measure success not by immediate results but by continued attempts. The breakthrough, she explains, is usually quiet — confidence appears long after the work has already begun. Determination becomes less about forcing outcomes and more about refusing to abandon effort, allowing skill, confidence, and a more hopeful outlook to slowly catch up.

Support the show