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Self‑determination plays a huge role in how we set goals, stay motivated, and bounce back when things get hard. You can see it when a student keeps practicing even after failing a test, when a teenager advocates for what they need, or when an adult sticks with a long-term goal despite setbacks. Whether you are supporting students, clients, or your own personal growth, these seven steps can help strengthen self‑determination in practical, meaningful ways. 1. Understand What Self‑Determination Is …

When children are young, we teach by showing. We show them what money looks like when we count it. We take more abstract concepts, like addition and subtraction, and physically show them how it looks to add one apple to a group of three or subtract two blocks from a group of five. Basic counting eventually turns into algebra, trigonometry, or calculus. So, too, goes the teaching of social skills or positive character traits like being kind to others. We start simply by showing them, a …