ARTICLE OF THE MONTH

MARCH 2006:

COMMITMENT

From the many people I have spoken with over the years, it would seem that the perceived value of commitment is diminishing with the changing times. What would you say is the biggest commitment you can make? Yes, that’s right, marriage; and all that goes with it—children in particular. And yet, in the United States that commitment is broken some 50% of the time—some nations fair better, others even worse. How is it that despite the current period of sustained economic growth there may be more property foreclosures than in the last recession?

In this article you will discover:

1. Exactly what commitment is;
2. Why commitment is so important;
3. Why, despite their importance, you continue to break your commitments;
4. How you can become committed to your commitments.

What is a commitment?

A dictionary definition might be "a pledge to do." Some years ago, however, a gentleman called George Zaluki gave me the best definition that I have ever encountered. For George, commitment is: "Doing the thing you said you would do long after the mood and emotion in which you said it in has left you." Please, read this statement again and allow it to resonate within you. Pretty profound, I believe. This does not only tell us what commitment looks and feels like, but also, what it doesn't look and feel like. Reflect for a moment, then, on your New Year's Resolutions. Are you still doing the things you said you would do long after the mood and emotion in which you said them in left you?

My purpose here is not to encourage you to stick with anything you truly do not want to be involved in, but rather to be more discerning when getting involved in the first place. You will find commitment is so much easier when you have a passion or burning desire for the endeavor concerned.

The importance of being committed

Quite simply, commitment drives success.

Committed people stay with their dreams and achieve their goals, thereby improving their physical, financial, spiritual and mental wellbeing.

National research has shown that organizational practices in compensation and benefits, personal growth, and other areas of work and life impact workforce commitment. In other words, measures that promote a committed workforce improve bottom-line business metrics such as turnover and productivity.

Why commitments aren’t kept

There are several reasons why you don’t keep certain of your commitments both to yourself and to others.

1. Unclear purpose. When you are not on purpose it is easier to stand for nothing and fall for anything, and so, you are more susceptible to adopting ideas that aren’t aligned with who you are. Sooner or later this incongruence can no longer be tolerated and so you quit contrary to your intention, which in truth was no more than a shallow commitment.
2. Underestimating the "price." Often there is simply no clear understanding of what it will take to get your desired result. You, therefore, under budget the physical effort, financial resources, emotional reserves and mental resolve required for a successful outcome.
3. The quick fix. It would seem that our so-called "Now Society" is less tolerant of delaying gratification—sacrificing now for a future gain. Referring back to our conundrum of rising foreclosures in an expanding economy, a ConsumerAffairs.com article from June, 2005 reads: "Today as many as two-thirds of home buyers are taking out variable rate mortgages, gambling that interest rates won't rise faster than their ability to pay…. Lenders, meanwhile, are rushing to write paper for nearly anyone who has a pen with which to sign on the dotted line. Societal programming convincing you that you should have it all and right now has created a commitment to looking great rather than being great. In chapter two of Prison Food Ain’t So Bad I expand somewhat on this notion of being committed to looking great rather than being great. When committed to looking great rather than being great, you become overly concerned with what others think and so become a slave to their opinions; it is no longer okay to have a medium-sized family car or affordable housing. Your decisions are now based on impressing others (almost) regardless of the cost. Those committed to greatness are not shackled by the same façade. In order to fulfill your potential, you too must break free of investing your self-esteem in what the Jones’ think.

Committing to commitment

So how do you make and keep commitments?

1. Get on purpose. I have found in my coaching practice that those clients who know what they want and have a plan to get it are by far the most committed to their commitments. One of the principal intentions of my coaching practice is to aid clients in getting and staying on purpose. Being on purpose is about more than just having financial and career goals, it embraces who you want to be, your values and your principles. When there is congruency between your intentions and what you say and what you do, you tend to show up in the world as someone who honors commitments and who forges ahead.

My job as a coach is to instill in you the same unwavering commitment to achieving your dreams that some people exhibit for their favorite soap opera or sports team. Such commitment is born of fun and enjoyment. So….

2. Have fun. The sports personalities, movie stars and entertainers that you so admire all have one thing in common: they enjoy what they are doing with a passion. Thus, whatever your purpose is, will be fun for you.

3. Commit publicly. When you commit in public it is more difficult to renege on that commitment. To do so would make you look bad in the eyes of others and make you appear to be a failure, something else you tend to do (almost) anything not to appear as.

4. Seek help. Accountability partners are adept at applying sufficient peer pressure (often casting guilt) to effectively motivate you to keep your commitment. Alternatively, a professional coach is trained to keep you on task.

5. Be clear about your message. Companies have corporate IDs, so why should you not have a personal ID. The use of a mission statement helps to promote that ID. For instance, my mission is to:

6. "Liberate mind, body and spirit through the written and spoken word —one person, one audience, one book at a time."

7. Burn your ships. Several ancient peoples are credited with burning their ships to ensure they would commit to overcoming a foe no matter what. This is a commonly misunderstood metaphor. Burning your ships means being single-minded and relinquishing all other alternatives. It is the perfect metaphor for being decided and so committed to a course of action. Such a level of commitment can increase your motivation by goading you to press on where you might otherwise give up prematurely.

So there you have it. Get on purpose and burn those ships. Finally, I would encourage you to discuss this months topic in the open forum on this website.