Are you interested or committed?
“There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it is convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”
~ Ken Blanchard
The question that stands is are you interested in your goals, or are you fully committed?
It is easy to say you’re fully committed to achieving your goals when you set them. But once the excitement of possibly creating the life you really want starts to wear off, commitment slowly fades to interest.
Here are four ways you can sustain your commitment over time.
- Create a clear outcome or goal. Too often we are too vague when we set our goals. We may want more money, a better career, or improve our relationships. What does that really mean? Ken Blanchard advises to start with the end in sight. That mean create a clear, compelling vision of what you want. The more specific you are about your goal, the more likely you will be to achieve it.
- Know why the goal is important to you. If your goal is just a vague good idea or someone else’s suggestion, you want not have the energy to sustain over time. Create several compelling reasons why this goal is a must for you. Some people will use the power of leverage to generate additional incentives to stay focused. For example, write a check in a significant amount to the one organization you would never want to support financially, address it, and give it to a trusted friend with the instruction to drop that check in the mail if you waiver in your commitment. You can use pain as a source of motivation, as well as pleasure.
- Create a strategic plan for success. A strategic plan means you have multiple ways you can get to your goal, not just one strategy. Then start with the most important actions first; those actions most likely to get you to your outcome. You may want to find someone who is already successful and model their behavior or plan. You must review your plan at least weekly, identify the key actions, and block time in your calendar to do them and then follow through.
- Ask yourself, “Who do I need to be to make this plan successful”? The best plan in the hands of someone who is not truly committed will never work. Resolve any inner conflicts whether you really want to achieve your goal. Some of us are driving toward our goals with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. A coach can help you resolve inner conflicts and ensure you are aligned, focused, and making progress toward you outcomes and goals.
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Much Success!
Have an outstanding day!!