This week, my wife and I celebrated 20 years in marriage. In the days and culture we live in, staying married for 20 years is not an easy accomplishment. It takes many things to get this far – patience, love, perseverance, selflessness, sacrifice, respect for one another, hard work, and above all, commitment. Commitment is often underestimated and mostly misunderstood. Without commitment, you cannot succeed in marriage and you cannot succeed in anything worthwhile, whether it is business, investments, career, or relationships.
What is Commitment?
Earlier this week, I listened to a podcast, and the host defined commitment as the state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to an ideal or cause of action. I love this definition because it clearly tells us what it takes to stay committed.
Commitment requires emotions, intellect, and most of all, you have to be bound to the cause. Meaning you cannot separate yourself from whatever you’ve committed to. Notice that simply saying I’m committed is not enough, there has to be an emotional and intellectual connection. In real life, commitment manifests in how you show up at work, at home, and in your relationships.
Are you committed to losing weight? If you are, it will show up daily in your thoughts, in your sleep, in what you eat, how you exercise, etc.
Are you committed to achieving financial freedom? If you are, it will show up daily in your dreams, your thoughts, how you make and spend money, what you buy, and who you hang out with.
Are you committed to your faith? If you are, it will show up daily in how you read your bible, what you meditate on, how you spend your time and money, how you fellowship and hang out with others and how you love those around you.
Are you committed to a lasting relationship? If you are, it will show daily in how you communicate, how you love, how you show respect and appreciation.
Commitment means you’re focused on playing the long game, i.e. you’re in it for the long term. Those that succeed in business, in investments, and in building lasting relationships understand that they are playing the long game and they understand that to win, you have to commit.
What are you willing to commit to today?
