It is what drives us forward and drives us away. It is what provides us with passion and fuels our greatest fears. It is what guides us to take a road less traveled or herds us on to the deeply rutted path.
As it turns out I’ve written an entire book around this idea because I think it’s such an important topic for our times. (The book will be out in the fall from Portfolio.)
Commitment is one of those very tricky words. It gets a great deal of play in the worlds of sports, romance and business alike. It’s a word that’s often linked to achievement, but I believe it’s a word that is greatly misunderstood.
Commitment isn’t about projects or events; it’s a long-term game. In fact, it may really be a lifelong game, but it’s not the kind of game that’s portrayed in movies. It’s not about being committed to something no matter what. It’s not about staying committed even to only one thing.
It’s about searching for the deeper meaning of your life and bringing what you find in that to every moment that you can.
I am committed to my wife, but when I tell her I love her, what I’m really telling her is that I’m committed to figuring out how to love her even when I struggle doing so.
I am committed to my business, but when I say that I’m not saying that I’m committed to growing it to some size or stature. What I’m really saying is that I’m committed to the idea that I can help small business owners find their purpose and passion through my words and my work even when I’m not sure what my next move should be.
See, commitment isn’t about the grind it’s about clarity, control and consent.
In order to possess the kind of commitment that will serve you, serve those around you and ultimately serve your business, you must be crystal clear about what you believe and why and you must put those beliefs into action in every decision.
In order to possess the kind of commitment that will serve you, serve those around you and ultimately serve your business, you must develop a sense of control about where you are headed but release a great deal of control about how you’ll arrive there.
In order to possess the kind of commitment that will serve you, serve those around you and ultimately serve your business, you must give yourself permission to learn and grow and evolve with the help of others.
Until your sense of commitment is infused with these three things there will always be uncertainty.
And mostly, there can be no real commitment until you surrender all doubt.
