Yesterday I released the plan my #buildinpublic I’m going to do on this site. Today I’m expanding on one of those topics and that is committing.
What does it mean to be committed?
We mention it in a variety of ways in our society about everything from relationships to finishing a project. Unfortunately, many times, we don’t follow through with our commitments though.
I realized that one major issue with commitment is that the times we don’t do what we say or stick with it for the long haul is that our heart isn’t in it.
I found this when reading a book called Commit to Win. It explored the topic of commitment way farther than I ever wanted to, digging into human psychology with equations and all kinds of things. But as with any book, I try to take away at least one potent thing that I can apply to my life.
The takeaway from this one that I’m building into everything I do is to only commit to things that my heart is in. If I’m not willing to put my heart on the line and commit so deeply that I would be heartbroken if it didn’t work, I’m not doing it.
That means the relationships I work on are all in. If I make a promise to my wife about something that needs to be done, I’ll commit to make sure that happens at almost any cost. If I decide to take on a project for work, like this writing project for instance, I’ll have thought through the implications of not committing fully and what that would mean not only for me but also for the people that follow the project.
Will I let them down?
Will I let myself down?
Will it affect my future in a very impactful way?
The honest truth is that most of us don’t actually commit on a level deep enough to be hurt when we give up. And we give up because things got tough, rough or some version of scary.
Where to Change
When it comes to creating a business you love and enjoy as well as one that provides value to others, commitment is required. As you’ll also hear me say in nearly every article, consistency is key.
Those two things go hand in hand like so many other things that fit with consistency as well. If you’re not consistent in being committed, you’ll never achieve. If you’re not committed to consistency, you’ll never do the right things enough to make the progress you want.
The change you need to make starts with your mindset. Truly begin to understand the implications of what you have done throughout your life up to this point that has caused you to not achieve as many goals you wanted.
Were you like me and love to start projects but never stick with them for more than a few months at most?
Do you jump ship the minute you start to make progress because, what if I succeed? Then that would mean I have to do this more and more and maybe I won’t like it 6 months from now.
Who do I think I am teaching or leading others? I’m not as good as I think I am.
These are all things I have though and I’m sure you have as well.
And they are all part of the reason you’ve fallen short of your goals and successes over the years.
True change only comes when you recognize a problem, find a solution and actually commit to doing something different in the future. You will never get anything different if you keep doing the same things.
Think about your level of commitment to your projects, goals, content development, business structure, products, marketing tactics and others. Then ask yourself, is my heart really in this?