Work: Committing to Showing Up

Commitments are a serious business — the ability to follow through on commitments separates the doers from the dreamers. When we keep our word to ourselves and others, we can build the lives we are hoping to create and make a true difference in the world. So, what is a commitment? Simply put, a commitment is a binding pledge that obligates you to carry out specific actions. 

Here are some thoughts about commitments: 

• Honoring your commitments gives the words that come out of your mouth power — and therefore gives you power. 
• Violating our commitments to others lets others down, and makes us untrustworthy in their eyes. 
• No matter what your commitment is, you will always face the temptation to give up. Anticipate the temptation, and make yourself a promise that the feeling of wanting to quit will not overpower your desire to follow through on your word. 
• A meaningful commitment gives you a script for how to handle things when times get tough. You already know what you will do and what outcome you are looking for, even in the craziest of situations. 
• Think before you commit, and learn to say no to things you cannot commit to. Before committing, ask yourself, “Is this something I can actually follow through on?”

Questions: 

• When you make a promise to do something, how good are you at following through? Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being really bad, and 5 being really great). 
• What kind of commitments do you have to uphold in your personal life? What are the consequences of not following through on those commitments? 
• You have commitments at work. What kinds of commitments are you trying to live up to at work? 
• Think about your biggest goal in life. What one commitment do you need to make to help make your dream a reality? 

Resource: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-commit-and-change-your-life.html