You cannot force others to recognise your value, and you have a choice not to let external opinions define your sense of worth. Anchoring your self-perception internally allows for greater stability and focus. It is also important not to tie your sense of progress or fulfilment solely to outcomes or the actions of others. Sustainable motivation is built by recognising effort and consistency, not only results.

I think from a behavioural perspective, reinforcement matters as dopamine plays a role in motivating behaviour by reinforcing actions and encouraging repetition. When you acknowledge and reward consistent effort even in small ways then you will strengthen the habits that lead to long-term progress. And over time, this shifts the focus from chasing outcomes to valuing the process, which is ultimately what drives meaningful and sustained performance.