Commitment:
An ever controversial subject.
It’s easy to set a goal, work towards it while you’re motivated, and then give up when the motivation wear’s off. It’s a never-ending cycle of good intentions with poor execution.
So how does commitment play into motivation?
Motivation is the momentary feeling of enthusiasm that begins your new journey. You’re on fire, unstoppable, and full of passion. However, if you read our previous blog on motivation, you know it doesn’t last forever. That fiery moment of passion won’t last forever.
Now you must be committed. When the motivation has worn off, you’re only left with your own self-disciple and commitment.
The first steps to staying committed is to set realistically obtainable goals and prepare a plan of action. We’ve talked about it before, but a goal without a plan is just a wish.
Part of your plan has to be the timeline in which you’re aiming to have your goal accomplished by. The biggest aspect of commitment is knowing that your motivation will wear off, and how you’re going to combat it. For myself personally, even if I don’t necessarily reach my goal, it’s more about adhering to the timeline that I created.
Let’s just imagine things don’t go as planned (shocker). Even if I know I can no longer accomplish my goal by the designated time frame, I’m at least going to stick to the plan for as long as I originally set out to.
What else does it take to stay committed, though?
- Sacrifice. You can’t get anywhere new by doing the same thing you’ve been doing. In order to accomplish a goal, it’s going to take sacrifice. Sometimes it can be small, trivial sacrifices, but often times it’s going to mean sacrificing a lot of things you currently enjoy. You have to prepare for the sacrifices you know you’re going to have to make, and continually keep in mind that you’ll likely encounter even more things that you’re going to sacrifice along this journey. You will have to decide whether your goal is important enough to you in order to stay committed to it despite the sacrifices you’ll be making – which leads us into our next subject.
- Purpose. In order stay committed, you’re going to have to constantly remind yourself of why you set this goal in the first place. If your motivation is coming from a shallow and meaningless place, you’re not likely to stick with it. However, if you’re goal is something you’re truly passionate about, you’re much more likely to stay committed. Set a goal that has a clear purpose to you.
- Excellence. Every goal you set, that you do not follow through with, says something about your character. Don’t get me wrong, there are times that it’s okay to give up on a goal. If you get halfway through a goal and find out that it’s negatively impacting some other aspect of your life that you aren’t willing to sacrifice (relationships, work, etc), then I think it’s okay to personally back out of the commitment.
Just remember that your actions will always speak louder than your words. When you set goal after goal and don’t follow through with any of them, you’re only lowering your own standards.
Make excellence your standard. Follow through with your wildest dreams and prove that excellence can be achieved. That’s easier said than done but keep your reputation as impeccable as possible.
What are some tips to staying committed to a goal?
- Analyze your perspective on excuses. If you’d roll your eyes at someone else giving the excuse that you’re trying to give yourself, then don’t allow it! You are your own worst enemy or your own best friend. Don’t allow yourself to make excuses when they aren’t legitimate.
- Read a lot. Read books, articles, and blogs that are relative to your goal. Keep yourself surrounded by informational material that keeps your mind focused on the task at hand.
- Try new things! You do not have to adhere to every piece of advice you read, but take this time to reflect on how you do things, and how you could do them better. Take the opportunity to go beyond your comfort zone and find new ways of achieving your goals.
- Take recognition of the hurdles. Don’t try to ignore the things you don’t like along your journey. In order to stay committed, you’re going to have to be happy along the way. Take an assessment of all the things that inconvenience you as you work towards your goal, and then find a way to work around it or change it.
Commitment isn’t always going to be easy to grasp, but keep your goal in the forefront of your mind. Don’t give up just because it seems hard. If it isn’t challenging you, it isn’t changing you.
You can do this!
We hope you enjoyed the blog and our previous blogs. We have one final blog for next week, so come back then!