How Committed Are You?

Over the past few months I have been talking a lot about mental toughness, hard work, setting priorities and why winning is important but, regardless of all your hard work, priorities and goals you will not succeed without commitment. Your personal commitment is what brings you success. You can consider your personal commitment as your intention to produce results. Commitments can be as simple as showing up for a meeting on time or as complex as starting a new business. Your commitment is the bridge between what your vision is and the reality you experience. The difference between good intentions that become reality and just good intentions, is how you act on those intentions to create reality. Commitment is more than just words. Commitment requires action. Commitment is much more than you are interested or you are thinking about making something happen.

When You Are Committed

When you are committed to something, you do not allow yourself to get side tracked, you no longer give power to the negative chatter in your head and you become clear about the results you want. W.M. Murray in his book, The British Himalayan Expedition, lays it out spot on when he states, “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would come his way.” What an amazing statement. Considering what he is implying, commitment applies to everything. From extreme life changes to things we face every day. From giving your employer an honest day’s work to fulfilling an assignment, to spending time with your family.

In my experience, I have found people who are unable to keep daily commitments are the same people who are unable to keep big commitments. The question most important to ask yourself is “Do you understand that the power to get things done and make things happen lives within you?”

Missing Commitments

There are times when you make a commitment, things come up and we fail to live up to the commitment. Life happens but, is this the norm for you or the exception? If life gets in the way, are you honest with yourself and others about the commitment you missed or do you justify missing the commitment by making excuses and blaming others? It’s very possible the reason you missed fulfilling the commitment is because you have a problem getting things done rather than making things happen. Making excuses and blaming others for your broken commitments weakens your ability to get things done over time and in the future.

When I miss a commitment, I go back to the point where I made the commitment. I ask myself “Was it really a commitment or was it a wish?” Was it something I decided to do on my own or was it a decision based in trying to please someone else? When you miss a commitment be honest with yourself. Own up to it and learn from it. It forces you to look at what was more important than the commitment.

In today’s world of entitlement and instant gratification, the idea of commitment is getting watered down at all levels. Many people I speak with don’t fully understand the importance of living up to commitments. Many miss the point that a commitment is a serious promise you make with yourself and others to fully dedicate yourself to whatever the task or challenge may be, especially when the going gets tough. Here’s the key, commitment doesn’t just mean promising to do something, most importantly, it means investing the necessary effort and actions to make it happen. When it comes to making commitments, there are no grey areas. You are either fully in or you are fully out. When you live up to your commitments you become a powerful person of influence. You become a person of your word. What you say, is what you do.

Be honest with yourself – are you as committed as you lead on to be? Your actions will always speak louder than your words. What are your actions saying about you?

You can listen to the audio version of this post at Jeff Heiser Radio Podcast 108.