The Case for Commitment

The Case for Commitment

One of the critical characteristics to anyone’s success is his or her commitment level. Commitment is defined as an obligation or pledge given in trust. Unfortunately, our society and world today seeks self-gratification; thus discomfort of any kind is a reason for breaking commitments.

In most TV shows, note how many commitments can be broken in just one hour -- from personal relationships, to business deals, to parents disappointing their children. Ultimately, the person who breaks the commitment pays the price with his or her reputation and credibility, both internally and externally.

The challenge of commitment levels applies to all of us. As I write this article, the process is being driven by my personal commitment to get it out on time. Normally, I really enjoy the creative writing experience, but I have just finished presenting for several 12 hour days. In addition, I have many other obligations and I’m feeling a bit tired. So what? I have a commitment to this article and its readers and my credibility is based on keeping it. I choose to follow through.

At this moment, recall a person or a business that did not keep a significant commitment to you. How did that make you feel? Did that experience generate feelings of loyalty, helpfulness, support, or praise? Certainly not!

Keeping commitments is also important in your personal life. Have you ever made a commitment to lose weight, stop smoking, start a business, or begin an exercise regime, then waned on your promise to yourself? When you break your commitments to yourself, it’s like a slow leak in a tire. Eventually the tire will go flat.

Commitment really does matter. In the book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don't, Jim Collins conducted five years of research on the most successful companies in America. What -- without exception -- was a core character trait of each business? Commitment, of course -- but not any garden-variety level of commitment. Those top companies move forward with a "we will continue UNTIL!" attitude. In the most successful companies, quitting is not an option.

Mankind’s most significant achievements reflect an unprecedented level of commitment, from the famous -- Edison’s 10,000 attempts to create the light bulb, Mandela’s lifetime of imprisonment before freedom came to the people of South Africa, and Walt Disney’s three bankruptcies prior to creating Mickey Mouse -- to the unsung heroes . . . a country doctor who saves his patient's life during a difficult operation or a commercial pilot who lands his plane safely in rough weather. The list goes on.

What level of commitment are you applying to your life -- the TV version of bailing when you find yourself slightly uncomfortable or the Good to Great concept of being committed UNTIL?

Action Steps

1. Remember that commitment is a discipline and a choice. Don’t blame circumstances for your commitment levels.
2. Rate your commitment level for each of the essential areas of your life -- family, social, business, financial, spiritual, and physical. Use a scale of 1 to 10 -- 10 being very committed. How would others rate you in each category on that same scale?
3. Commitment levels can be situational, meaning you can have high levels of commitment in some areas and lower levels in others. Record why you sometimes don’t follow through.
4. Commitment doesn't mean you should be blindly unchanging. Unhealthy, negative situations call for common sense. Don't stay committed to a choice that is life-threatening and destructive over the long term.
5. Envision how much better or different your life might be if your commitment levels were higher than they are today. Most individuals keep a commitment because of the results it will produce. To stay motivated and to follow through on your word, focus on the positive outcome.
6. If commitment has been a challenge for you, what has "going back on your word" cost you?
7. When you fail to keep your commitments, don't beat yourself up. There is no benefit in that. Instead, determine why and how you will keep your commitments in the future.
8. Choose someone you trust as an accountability and support partner. When elite athletes struggle with commitment, the coach is there to assist them.

Self Improvement Tips

Self Improvement Tips

It sure is quite difficult to overcome certain challenges faced in life.  However, sometimes this is attributed to a person’s own flaws.  We simply cannot achieve the goals we’ve set out for ourselves simply because we don’t make any efforts to improve what needs improving.  Every person has a distinct personality of his own, yet these can also use some extra enhancing.  If you’re someone who wishes to take on life’s challenges and succeed with most, if not all, of them, then you will want to define who you really are as a person.  Once you’ve actually done this, you can then recognize certain aspects about you that may require improving.  If you’re looking for some self improvement tips to become the best person you can be, look below:

It is important to spare some time for your needs.  There are certain things you would like to be done, and you should ensure that there are no disruptions which can hinder you from doing so.  Of course, this can be somewhat difficult to adjust to in the beginning.  In fact, you may even find it pretty stressful to cope with everything that’s going on around you.  However, it is important that you actually dedicate time for yourself; since this can help you perform tasks properly and fulfill your personal obligations without much delay or problem.  Positivity is essential in order to make this work.

Another thing that you may want to remember is that, for every goal you have, always create a plan for them.  This could mean taking down important notes on how you can address certain situations, especially with the numerous solutions you may be faced with.  This gives you a clear picture of how to achieve your goals in life.  Coming up with a to-do list, along with a specific time frame in which you should have accomplished those goals strengthens your chances of actually fulfilling them.  You will also need to do a bit of self reflection.  Get to know yourself better as a person, since identifying your strengths and weaknesses is crucial to finally attaining all your ambitions in life.  Your attitudes and behaviors can determine just how far you will go with your aspirations, so make sure you incorporate a sense of determination, resourcefulness as well as smart decision making.

Think about the plans you’ve set for yourself and formulate the solutions as properly as possible.  This can be time consuming, yet this is necessary in order for you to know all the steps you must take so you can finally reach those goals you’ve set for yourself.  This, along with the other self improvement tips provided, can help you become better in so many ways.
                               
There are a lot of people in this world who would not want to admit that they too have their fair share of faults.  Human pride is something that is natural, it often becomes difficult for someone to actually realize that there is always room for improvement.  This is the only way in which one can truly become something far beyond who he is, and do things he thought he could never accomplish.  Most people would not want to admit that they need help, and would often refuse advice even when it is necessary.  If this is the case, it would be best to implement actual self improvement in order to be better in just about every facet of life. Below are some points which can help you become a better individual:
         
It is important for a person to actually define all the things about himself that actually require some improvement before any progress can take place.  There are many individuals who feel they are as perfect as they come, yet the truth is we all have certain traits which need improving.  This could either be being able to head off to work on or before time, continuing with the tasks assigned to us even if we don’t feel like doing them, or even just the basic communication of two people with each other.  Many areas in a person’s life require improvement, and admitting this can only take you a step further towards achieving bliss.
         
Tips on improving one’s self prove to be highly essential since these can help them realize which aspects of themselves they may be lacking in.  This applies perfectly, no pun intended, to the perfectionist who simply cannot see any faults within himself.  Once we accept that we, too, are guilty of making a few mistakes every now and then, we are simply overcoming our weaknesses even in the slightest manner.  The next step to take is to actually find out what is needed in order to play according to our strengths while keeping the weaknesses out of view.  Changing one’s self to be a much better person is always welcome, especially when no person on this planet is infallible.
         
Incorporating a self improvement program in your life certainly goes a long way to help address the weaknesses you may have and contain them deep inside so as to enhance the strengths you may possess. This would certainly allow you to be better in the things you do, and even be seen in a more positive light among your peers, relatives and friends.  So long as you realize that you’re only human and can stumble upon a few roadblocks which hinder you from becoming far more than what you’re capable of, you can simply be a better version of yourself.

Amazing Key Success Factors

Amazing Key Success Factors

For every person in this world, there’s at least one goal they would like to accomplish much to their satisfaction.  That goes without saying, every one of us have different goals we’d like to achieve.  Yet, because of the constant barrage of challenges that head our way, we often find ourselves struggling to finally attain all our dreams and aspirations. Yet, this is something that can be overcome.  Nothing is impossible, as the saying goes.  After all, when the Wright Brothers invented the first aircraft, we all believed that men could fly.  Or even man’s first trip to the moon.  That in itself was a defining moment which has led people to believe that anything can be achieved.  All it takes is a few key success factors which can help us walk towards the intended directions to further accomplish our own little goals in life.  Below are some of these factors:

Time management – This is a priority when it comes to just about everything we do in our lives, whether it’s for business reasons of for daily chores.  Considering that time is something precious, we simply cannot put it to a stop.  We have to make use of whatever time we have to actually fulfill our own needs and wants.  It is limited, which only makes it worth the effort to do as many things as possible despite those limitations.  It’s all a matter of perspective, and people saying that they have too little time on their hands need to realize that they can still do a lot of things with the time they’re allotted for their aspirations to be realized.
         
Self discipline – When we’re trying to accomplish certain objectives, we have to incorporate in our minds that we can get to those goals of ours so long as we actually do what is required.  This even means doing things even if we don’t feel like it.  Succumbing to laziness or lethargy is something which hinders us from fulfilling our goals in life.  We have to push ourselves hard and be motivated enough to go for the things we want, even with all the rough patches we will inevitably encounter in our lives.
         
Industriousness – A hard worker can simply achieve everything he wants, so long as he continues to be such.  This is one of the key success factors that actually help people attain all the goals and ambitions they have in life.  Putting a lot of effort into things can take you places, and great levels of success can be accomplished.  With a lot of hard work, one can simply expect a lot of relaxation and gratification in the end.

Goal Setting Tips For Improved Living

Goal Setting Tips For Improved Living

If you wish to make all your dreams come true, you would have to do all that’s possible to set your goals.  For successful goal setting, there are many things to be put into consideration.  Pursuing something you would consider rather important in your life means that you’ll have to do a lot of research and groundwork as to how you can successfully achieve every ambition you’ve set out for yourself.  Spending a whole lot of time on these things can give you with the necessary focus to guarantee some much awaited success in life.  Below are some essential goal setting tips you will want to look into to finally be able to realize all your aspirations:

It is important to be clear on what you wish to achieve.  Being vague as you set your goals will only confuse you as to what it is exactly that you want or need to accomplish.  Avoid being so abstract or imprecise, since this can only contribute to much time wasted on how to fully succeed.  A lot of time and effort will be wasted if you don’t specify your intentions.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for success in love, career, finances, etc; you will want to keep in mind that being meticulous and detailed in your plans can go a long way to achieving them for good.

Be as realistic as possible when setting your goals.  When you’re someone who has many things to be accomplished, you will want to make sure that the things you have in mind are attainable.  Reality is the key element to consider here, so stop fantasizing about touching the sky or suddenly owning a wallet which generates endless amounts of money out of thin air.

Be as timely as possible.  Setting a proper schedule on how, when and where you’ll be attempting to achieve your goals makes it even more viable to attain some success.  Give yourself a time frame to follow.  If you’re hoping to lose a number of pounds, determine just how much time it will take for you to do that and work on it.  With deadlines being set, it helps avoid succumbing to laziness and giving you a sense of urgency in actually fulfilling your objectives.  Apart from that, it will keep you quite motivated to strive hard in achieving the success you’ve so long desired for your goals.
These are three essential tips that you will need to take into heart if you really wish to be successful in whatever plans you may have for yourself.  With the proper method of goal setting tips in tow, there’s practically no chance that you won’t achieve everything you’ve ever dreamed of.