BECOMING: Commit to the Journey
Are you committed or simply interested in achieving that goal and becoming the best version of yourself?
"Interest" is dabbling until things get hard or don't go as planned. Or until something else comes up that seems more attractive. Interest is going after something without really understanding the costs and without connecting the goal with your values and greater vision for your life.
If you have a track record of starting something, but rarely finishing, it's because you were interested, not committed.
You are committed only when:
You are clear on your Why? Is it inspiring and compelling?
The goal has a clear definition of success. How will you know you are done? How do you measure it?
The goal requires you to learn, grow, and become the best verison of yourself along the way. It requires you to leave your comfort zone.
You write it down. Think of it as writing a contract to yourself. I'm not talking a SMART Goal (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and timebound). The only problem with SMART goals is the T: While the Time gives you urgency and focus, it's creates a false sense of failure if you miss the timeline. Time is a resource, not a measure of success.
You connect with it every day. When you set out to do something new, it's easy to lose sight of it amid all the noise of everything else you already have going on in your life. Connect by reading your goal COMMITTMENT every morning and every evening. After 30 days, you might just become so obsessed with thinking about your goal, that it has moved beyond interest and into commitment.
Get back up. Allow yourself just 5 minutes to sit in your disappointment in the times you fall down. Then pick yourself up and keep going by looking at the lessons and the gifts from your setback. It only happened because you needed to learn something new before being ready to press on. So learn and press on.
Commitment is a habit, not an event.
Here's how to declare COMMITMENT to the goal:
I will ______________. And I will continue to put forth extraordinary effort no matter what, and for as long as it takes. There is no other option.
Example: "I will hit $xxx,xxx in revenue in my new business within the first 2 years. And I will continue to put forth extraordinary effort no matter what, and for as long as it takes. There is no other option."
That's pretty SMART. And the rest suggests: If I don't get there in 2 years, I'm going to keep putting forth extraordinary effort as long as it takes. "Whatever it takes" means I'm willing to fail and get back up stronger again and again until I get there. The rest of the statement inspires new, creative thinking, collaboration, and growth. This is commitment to the journey.
You can't control the results, but you can control your actions. Your activity is what you are committing to. The results are just the indictor that you are done with that particular goal.
When you commit to the vision, are you fully aware of what you are committing to along the way? We'll talk more about this when we get to the N in BECOMING. (Negotiate the Cost). If you did the exercises under Edit the Environment, you already have a sense of what to expect on the journey.
Buckle up! You're in for the ride of your life!
It's in the Journey that you are BECOMING the kind of person it takes toa achieve the goal. The journey can be thrilling. It can also be difficult. You have to commit to the challenges and the wins.
If you aren't committing to the goal, you are committing to the status quo or someone else's vision. Keep that in mind when you hesitate to make the commitment.
Subscribe today so you don't miss out on the next essential element to BECOMING:
B: Believe in Possibility
E: Edit Your Environment
C: Commit to the Journey
O: Own the Vision
M: Manage the Moments
I: Ignite Courage
N: Negotiate the Cost
G: Give Gratitude and Grace
Let's chat!
Schedule a complimentary strategy session to build your goal and your reality around BECOMING the kind of person it takes to achieve your goal.