Be Driven By Commitment

A Commitment is a Promise to Yourself 

Note the slight spelling difference between impossible and possible. Those two additional letters (i and m) are most often used together to represent "I am." It may sound silly, but simply changing one's thinking that impossible actually means I'm possible works. Such thinking changes "impossible tasks" into "I'm possible tasks." Again, it sounds silly, but it does work and may reinforce your commitment to tackle the hard tasks at hand.

Vince Lombardi, the famous American football coach whose name now adorns the Super Bowl Trophy, said, "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." If you are a teacher, you should strive to be an excellent teacher. If you are a scientist, your aim should be to be an excellent one.

Steve Prefontaine, the American distance runner who held seven track records before his tragic death in a car accident at 24, said, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." This applies equally to your life and your unique gift as it does to any sportsman on the playing field.

Adds George Halas, another famous American football coach, "Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it." Coach Lombardi, who was the opponent of Halas across the field for many years, used to say, "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender." It is little wonder that their two teams used to have some ferocious game battles. They knew how to instill commitment in their players.

Work hard. Give your best. Don't sacrifice the gift you have been given. Strive for excellence. Don't do things halfheartedly. These coaches and athletes knew what commitment was all about.

If your goals are clearly articulated, and if you make an unconditional commitment to achieve your most important ambitions and dreams, then you will find yourself properly positioned to find the resources, power, energy, assistance, and a correct path to accomplish what you set out to do.

A solid commitment to yourself (and that's really what a commitment is  ─ a promise to one's self) will give you plenty of reasons to get out of bed in the morning, to practice your skill set, to work on important things rather than seemingly urgent tasks, and to take on new experiences en route to accomplishing your desires.

Remember, good habits are just as addictive as bad ones. If you ensure that your habits are centered on your commitment to your goals, you will attain these in a more timely manner.

After all, a person driven by commitment knows where they are going….and the whole world steps aside for the person who knows where they are going. 

This article is excerpted from the best-selling book Project You: Living A Determined Life, available at Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats.