How committed are you to achieving your goals? This is a question I have asked myself many times. When I’m exhausted after a long day at work, my kid is tugging on my leg to play Barbie, the dog wants to go outdoors, my kitchen is a mess, I need a shower and all I really want to do is lie down and sleep; that is the moment my commitment to success must kick in.
What makes it so hard for us as individuals to follow through on the goals we set for ourselves? How do we push past those moments of exhaustion or failure to allow ourselves the consistency and time it takes to succeed?
Before I address some keys to commitment, I think the idea of failure must also be discussed. Let’s face it, when you are committed to something you will often fail before you reach the success you envision, and the mentality it takes to try again after a setback is the primary ingredient to commitment.
Failure is one of those things we all know exists, we have all seen or heard stories of failure and triumph, and yet we are so scared to fail ourselves; so much so that many people don’t try, or give up after one attempt. I think the topic of failure in and of itself can be discussed in a piece all of its own, but my summation of failure is this: Don’t let your failures define you, rather let them refine you. Learn from each failure to discover a deeper level of growth.
Jumping back to the topic of commitment, I believe there are several key aspects to the act of commitment. When it’s toughest, you must at times be committed to the idea of being committed to see yourself through to the end. Some commitments are never-ending, and are – in essence – a practice. This means acknowledging that you will have some days that are less than optimal, but does not mean failure. Overall, commitment is composed of the following:
- Do what you say. This means do not over commit. You must be able to say no to things that don’t move you towards your goals. You want your word to count, you want your service and product (in every area of your life) to be of good quality. Never over promise and under deliver as it undermines your reliability in the eyes of others. Therefore it is best to strongly consider your ability to complete any commitment you make it.
- Make it plain. Whether you believe in the Bible or not, one biblical principle that holds true is to write down (and verbalize) your vision or goals. I have heard people tell me they don’t talk about their goals because they don’t want people to judge them if they don’t achieve them. I believe this is the wrong way to go. People who are working diligently towards goals understand that goals change; they may take a different time frame or shape than what was originally intended. Other people with goals understand the goal making process. With that in mind, the only people who would judge you are those who aren’t striving for anything and you don’t need them hanging around anyway. So drop the losers and begin to talk actively about your goals. You never know what doors it may open.
- Invest in Continuing Education. If you own a state regulated license, you may be very familiar with the idea of continuing education; however, people who are committed to their success are always growing, taking courses, attending seminars, learning the latest best-in-class standards and such. I hate to hear about people who refuse to spend money learning or deepening their pool of knowledge. Free classes are great, but you also get what you paid for. Successful people often go from taking courses to giving them because they eventually establish themselves as an expert in their field. Their growth doesn’t stop there. They still learn from other experts and are consistently researching and attaining knowledge in their field.
- Last but not least, don’t be too hard on yourself. This is one I struggle with myself. When you set high standards for yourself, you are bound to drop the ball somewhere. The key is to take each day in stride, assess where you could do better and make the best go of it tomorrow. Life is too short to dwell on your shortcomings because we all have them. Never forget the potential within yourself to be better, do better and know better.
~JMJ