Rules of Living #2: Commitment

Commitment? Sounds like a bad word to many people, but it is one of those things that stops you in your tracks if someone asks you “are you committed to this”. Why? Because it is a very tall order, and people are expecting something from you if you make a commitment. I’ve known commitment to be a powerful resource as well as a theme of success. In life, we also expect people to commit to doing certain things for us, or else our lives could become very unpredictable. If your employer didn’t pay you on time… if your spouse dated other people behind your back… if the public transportation system kept stalling on a regular basis… all these things won’t happen because there is a guarantee of service, obligation and duty.

In my opinion, commitment has been poorly defined. In dictionary.com, we have this definition:

“The state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to a course of action or to another person or persons”

 

This is a little profound, I think. You are bound emotionally or intellectually! It basically means that you agreed to or felt obligated to carry out that course of action. Think about it – why do people become successful? Because, they committed to ensure the success of other people around them. They helped others gain value. They fulfilled obligations that they were tied to. Why is it that people whom are traitors or have betrayed us are held in such low regard? They broke a commitment. In the legal sense of the word there is a fiduciary duty. That means people hold in trust an unwritten rule that we should fulfill an obligation to each other.

I remember that there have been many times I had to seriously make commitments to help other people. One of my very, very dear coaches had undergone an operation a couple of years ago, which was not affordable to this coach. So I felt the obligation and duty to help this coach out and wrote a check for an amount I shall not disclose. I don’t expect any return, you see. It’s just that I feel that in my time of need I required help and this person was there. Now, the tables are turned and I feel that it is right to extend the commitment to this level.

 

Now, the real question is the idea of commitment to self. I’m sure you have never thought about this in your life, but do you commit to be punctual for work? Not just for your employer, but because it’s good for you? Do you commit to improve yourself and weed out negative things in your head? Because, if you don’t, you’re really selling yourself short. If you expand your ability to grow and learn and become more than you thought you could be, the people around you will be glad, possibly proud. The idea is this, our commitment to our own long term development doesn’t just involve us. It involves the choices we make that leads to a ripple effect in the people whom we are surrounded by.

On a daily basis, ask yourself this question: What do I commit to do today, and have I fulfilled my commitments for the previous days? If I haven’t, what plans should I make now to make it happen?

Go ahead – make a commitment and you’ll find your ability to be disciplined and focused will lead you to far greater heights in your career, business, family or studies.