The Value of Commitment!
By: May McCarthy
In the past month, the topic of commitment has come up in a number of different settings and I thought that would be a great focus for this month’s newsletter.
Some of my Angel Investor friends often ask business owners who are looking for investors, “How committed are you to the success of your business?” At my church, pastors have posed the question to the congregation, “Can you commit to a daily practice that connects you with the Divine?” I’ve heard parents advise their children, “Since you’ve signed up to play on the team, you have to honor your commitment and play the rest of the season even if you don’t feel like it.” And one businessman told me of his conversation with a valued customer, “I know that my product didn’t arrive to you on time and I feel obligated to abide by the commitment I made to you. Please accept the shipment for free because of our mistake.”
As you can see from these examples, commitment can have a number of meanings. In the dictionary, commitment is defined as “the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.” It can also mean “a pledge or undertaking.” Commitments can mean “an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action.”
One of my favorite sayings from an unknown author is: “There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”
I agree! Commitment is a choice to follow through and accept no excuses, only results. But, in order to do this, you have to have an idea of the results that you want to realize and commit to reviewing them daily.
To help you with this, follow these three simple steps as your daily commitment to the results that you want to achieve:
- Describe in detail the results that you want for your life.