I took a course years ago called “Commitment: The Power of Your Word.” I have forgotten most every course or class I have ever taken except this one. It is one of the few courses I still have the notebook with my notes.
What did I see and learn in the course? “Commitment is the backbone, strength and driving force of achievement — the triumph of possibility over resignation, of creation over change, of your word and deed over all the practical reasons why “it can’t be done.” Commitment begins with our speaking and listening. It is our word that has the power to create a future and alter what’s possible, leaving us fully in accord with our own possibilities and those of others. Commitment is the difference between involvement and accountability. It is taking responsibility before the fact rather than after the fact.”
The short version is words matter and your word matters most. A quote from the course, which was filled with quotes and which I read often, is:
Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no one could have dreamt would have come his way.
I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
from “The Scottish Himalayan Expedition”
by W. H Murray
What does this mean? Everyone is committed to something. What you have and where you are now is what you being committed looks like. The power of commitment makes nothing happen it only makes it possible. Commitment is like pregnant. There is no such thing as 99% committed. Anything less than 100% is at best a powerful intention.
Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes real happiness. It is not obtained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. - Helen Keller
It would appear you made quite a commitment to the course itself!
There may not be “99% committed”, but there is such a thing as over-committed… a recurring pattern for me. How do you suggest handling that?
Kinda like being two weeks overdue with quadruplets.
If you are getting it all done they are true commitments and the over part is a story. If they are not getting done they are not commitments but perhaps wishes or intentions. I have three lists instead of one ‘to do’ list. Doing Now… gets done today by when every day no matter what or it is not on the list. Not Doing Now is where I put larger parts of projects I can’t complete today and either are waiting or have to broken into smaller parts. The Never Doing Now list is where I keep big projects, ideas and future plans and anything that stays on the Not Doing Now list over 30 days. The other part that solved the ‘over committed’ issue was I put them all down and discovered how some of my plans, ideas, wishes did not support others. Fact was some on the same list guaranteed others on that list would never work at the same time at least or ever. I cleaned house.
I like the idea “taking responsibility before the fact rather than after the fact.” Often, talking responsibility happened after something went wrong. That’s not a responsible way to proceed. We should all learn how to “taking responsibility before the fact.”
great article.
Commitment is the key to many issues
Our actions demonstrate what we are committed to. If we don’t do it, we really weren’t committed. Great article. As a follow up post I’d love to see how one bridges the gap between intentions and commitment.
Great idea Dana.
Very true, if you are committed to what you are doing others will notice it and value you. In the end commitment makes us more engaged.
Thanks.
I love that Goethe quote! I’ve turned to it often.
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I think its hard to commit sometimes because we want the others involved to also commit, yet when you commit you do so whether they reciprocate or not.
nice!
“Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes real happiness. It is not obtained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. – Helen Keller”
Thank you for including this. The satisfaction of doing what you consider to be your life’s work is rarely discussed these days, it seems. Love hearing about it here. – Sarah
At on planning session the statement was made that “we should be committed”. Several of us were not sure if that was a statement on our mental health or that they valued our involvement. I wonder if people are afraid to commit out of a fear of failure?
There are two kinds of commitment. One I will call ‘thrown’ as comes with the package. We are committed to breathing. It is natural and not difficult and when it becomes difficult our commitment to breathing, our commitment to living is our primary focus. Chosen commitments are the same. Most people hold ‘commitment’ like a good idea, a wish and the way to go when the going is easy… I cannot imagine being committed as a should. That is a form of manipulation, a play for a forced mastermind, which never works. A commitment ought to empower you, not suck the joy out of you. A commitment should have no fear or ambition as part of it. If it does you may proceed but I wouldn’t call it commitment.
Great Read Mike