Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 12 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: What is commitment?
— From The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow by John C. Maxwell
“Commitment separates the doers from the dreamers,” says John C. Maxwell in his book The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. But what exactly is commitment? Much like success, the answer to this question is different for each person:
- To the boxer, it’s getting off the mat one more time than you’ve been knocked down.
- To the marathoner, it’s running another ten miles when you’re strength is gone.
- To the soldier, it’s going over the hill, not knowing what’s waiting on the other side.
- To the missionary, it’s saying good-bye to your own comfort to make life better for others.
- To the leader, it’s all that and more because everyone you lead is depending on you.
Whatever your definition, Maxwell offers three observations about commitment:
- Commitment always precedes achievement.
- The only real measure of commitment is action.
- In the face of opposition or hardship, commitment is the only thing that carries you forward.
And to improve commitment, Maxwell shares the following thoughts:
Measure your commitment. “Take out your calendar and your checkbook register. Spend a few hours tallying up how you spend you spend your time and how you spend your money. Look at how much time you spend at work, in service, with family, in health and recreation activities, and so forth. Figure out how much money you spent on living expenses, entertainment, personal development, and giving. All these things are true measures of your commitment. You may be surprised by what you find.”
Know what’s worth dying for. “One of the questions every leader must ask himself is, What am I willing to die for? If it came down to it, what in life would you not be able to stop doing, no matter what the consequences were? Spend some time alone meditating on that thought. Write down what you discover. Then see if your actions match your ideals.”
Use the Edison method. “If taking the first step toward commitment is a problem, try doing what Thomas Edison did. When he had a good idea for an invention, he would call a press conference to announce it. Then he’d go into his lab and invent it. Make your plans public, and you might be more committed to following through with them.”
I’ll leave you with a great story from Maxwell’s book to fuel your commitment, because it’s only you who can do that. “Former pro basketball player Bill Bradley attended a summer basketball camp at age fifteen conducted by “Easy” Ed Macauley. During that camp, Macauley made a statement that changed Bradley’s life: ‘Just remember that if you’re not working at your game to the utmost of your ability, there will be someone out there somewhere with equal ability. And one day you’ll play each other, and he’ll have the advantage.’ How do you measure up to that standard?”
And speaking of commitment, I had a crazy idea and shared it with you in another email that I sent earlier. Check out that email, and I’ll hope you’ll join me in committing to end 2018 strong!
ACTION
TODAY: Follow the exercise that Maxwell suggests to see where your commitments are based on your schedule and checkbook. What does this tell you?
FUTURE: Think about your commitments. Which ones do you love and gladly commit to them every day? Which ones do you not love, but commitment carries you through and you don’t even question them? Which ones are you half-heartedly or not-at-all committed to? Can you drop these last ones in favor of those you love? Or find someone who can do a better job than you to take over in this area, thus freeing you to commit in other areas?
Know someone who is fully committed to something? Please share this post with that person, he or she deserves recognition for being a doer, hats off! Email, Facebook or Twitter.