The \”C\’ Word—\”Commitment\”; a word our culture is beginning to avoid like the plague.
\”Options\”. Now there\’s a more palatable word. It leaves things more open and elusive.
Perhaps its not commitment that we don\’t like but rather we don\’t want to let go of the ideal of just simply doing whatever we feel like. If we commit to something that means at some point we will have to do that something even when we don\’t feel like it.
We dabble in this, dabble in that; we chase after the latest trends, we drop them to pick up the next. Perhaps we get inspired and buy a pair of running shoes or join a fitness club and remain fairly consistent for a couple weeks. And then what? Many people reach the threshold of change, lose their inspiration and quit.
In the \”real\” world, commitment makes all of the difference. Employers sift through stacks of resumes looking for certain achievements to catch their eyes. These things usually relate to competency and commitment. One of these achievements that really sticks out to an employer is a black belt degree in martial arts. The reason this degree is attractive to employers is not only due to the age old tradition of discipline taught in martial arts that has brought it great respect, but also because people recognize the level of commitment it takes to earn a black belt. It takes a typical person 5 years of consistent training to earn a black belt.
The essence of staying power yields awesome results over time. Einstein said that if a person studies a subject for just 15 minutes a day, in a year they will be an expert, and in five years they may be a national expert. Considering this, why are there not more experts around? Surely everyone can commit themselves to an area of interest for 15 minutes a day, right? Yes, but most people simply will not do it. Staying committed to anything over time is not easy.
Picture your life 5 years from now. Is there something you want to be really great at? What will you do?