Commitment.  How many people are so afraid of that word.  And what is it that makes it so scary?

Whether it is a man afraid to commit to marriage, or a woman who is commited to her weight loss on January 1st, only to be back to her old eating habits by the 5th.  We all have been put into a position at some time where we made a commitment, and then later failed to keep it.  So why is it so hard to stay committed?

Let’s first take a look at what it means to commit.  My definition of commitment is to “take action to do something, with no chance of failure”.

If we say we will do something, but then allow something to change what we said we will do, then we are not being truly committed.

Therein lies the problem.  You see, we allow ourselves to use excuses to not stay commited.  And if we fail, it is totally because we did not try hard enough.  We didn’t set it up in such a way that failure was not an option.  And this goes against our lazy nature to just let things be, because to make these kinds of changes it requires effort on our part.

How many of you know someone who is perptually late for everything, including getting to work, or showing up for meetings?  We all know someone like that.  But yet you are not only on time, but early every single day.  Why is that?  It is because you have committed to yourself that it is a priority to be on time and not be late.  It is that important to you, that you will rearrange whatever needs to be rearranged, so that you will always be on time.  So if you can do it, why can’t the late person?  It is because they are not committed to the same priorities as you are.  For whatever reason, they do not value that job, or their co-workers to show them the respect and appreciation by honoring the times.

It has nothing to do with what is going on in someone’s life.  Because there are many people who have just as much going on, and are able to make it on time, all the time.

The bottom line is that it is what you have or have not committed too.

Now, can you make mistakes or change your path and still be committed?  Of course!  There are times when you may have to change how you are prioritizing your commitments, or you may even fall off the wagon.  But the difference in someone who is committed and someone who isn’t, is that those who commit themselves will get up and continue on, regardless of the bumps in the road.

So what are your commitments?  Are you passionate about them?  Do you desire to stay committed?  Because if you are having a hard time staying committed, then perhaps it is time to re-evaluate and re-prioritize.

When you are passionate and have a strong desire to do something with your life, or make a change, or grow in some way, there is nothing that will stop you from achieving your goals.  It is not always easy, but it is possible.

So it is important to take it one step at at time, learn to live as your word.  Start today.  Make a list of goals that you are really passionate about and pick one to commit too totally.  DECIDE that no matter what, you will let no one or nothing stand in your way of success, no matter what the goal is.  And just do it!  If something gets in your way, deal with it, but keep moving.

Success won’t happen overnight.  It rarely does.  And when it does, most people don’t know how to handle it because they have not had to work to get there.  A good example is lottery winners.  How many times have you heard that someone who won millions is now broke?  You can’t bank on the lottery.  You can only bank on YOU!  And you can’t blame anyone if you don’t make it, because the bottom line is if you really want something, you CAN.

“Whether you can, or you can’t – you are right”  - Henry Ford

Our belief systems shape our decisions.  Our decisions lead us to action (or inaction).  Our action moves us in a certain direction.

It is more than just believing.  It is in the DOING.