Commit For The Sake Of Commitment

The word commitment has lost value in our modern society. When we think about this word, we think that we must enslave ourselves to a particular assignment.

And....you're right....

One of the earliest meanings of the word "commit" was "to entrust with." Another old meaning of the word was "to send on a mission." In other words, you were given a task and are expected to see it to completion. There is no "I'll give it a try" or "I'll do what I can." If the task has been entrusted to you, then you must complete it or else there will be consequences.

So in a sense, yes, you are enslaved to an assignment. Yes, you are in debt to a task. Yes, you are married to a mission. Whether you like it or not, you must complete your assignment because you have committed yourself to it.

Now, here's the beauty about the word "commitment": it forces you to stay focused no matter what. Even if you don't like the task, you will finish it -- and completing a task that you didn't like is one of the most noble things you could do. Why? Because you didn't complete it because it felt good. You didn't complete it because it made you comfortable. You completed it because you were "committed to commitment."

When you could complete a task simply because you were committed to it, you would learn how to complete any task that you're given. It's easy to complete an assignment that you enjoy. It's harder to complete an assignment that you don't particularly care for -- but completing such an assignment really brings in some nice results.

One time, I was eating breakfast with a friend at a New York diner, and somehow, we started talking about arranged marriages. I was against it, because I believed everybody ought to choose whom they wanted to be with. But this friend made one very valid point about arranged marriages: it forces you to be committed to the person that you're married to. So, when things go good or go bad, you'd still be committed to your spouse. Divorce won't be on your mind. You'd just work it out until death does you part.

Now, does this mean that you'd be unhappy forever? No, because you'll learn to be happy to whatever it is that you're committed to. The more you commit to something, the better you'd be at it, and the better you are at it, the happier you'd be with your task.

Do you know that whenever I teach ZUMBA, I don't always enjoy all those hard exercises that I have my people do? There would be times when I'm so winded that I'd be tempted to change out a couple of songs during class, because I know those songs will be tough! But, I knew that I have to be an example for commitment. Whenever I choose my songs, those are the songs I have to commit to no matter what. So, when that killer song comes on and I just have no energy to do it -- well, I just force myself to do it! But once it's over, I'm glad that I did it.

One time when I was team-teaching a BodyPump class at my gym, I taught the squat track, which was the first intense song after the warm-up track. I decided to lift more weight than I was used it, and I PAID for it! After that track, I've felt sick and nauseous -- yet, I had EIGHT more tracks to do! Thankfully, the other instructor taught most of them. I had little energy to continue and I really wanted to leave the stage and throw up in the bathroom. But, I committed myself to that full hour of teaching no matter what, and I've completed that assignment. Yes, I was sick for a few days. But today, I'm the type of person who is committed to being an example to my students even if it makes me sick.

See, when you could force yourself to commit to a task, you could come out as a better person. If I just simply wimp out when things get too hard, that is what I'll be my whole life: a wimp. If the heat is too high, I'll just wither away. I don't want to be that person and I don't want others to see me like that. I want to be known as that person who is willing to stick it out no matter what until the assignment is completed.

If anything, be committed to commitment. Be a person of commitment. You don't have to like the task. Just be committed to doing it. You never know the outcome that will happen when you decide to keep going instead of fleeing.

Losing weight is a commitment, because you're not going to enjoy the task every step of the way. But just imagine the outcome of your commitment to losing weight.

Starting a business is a commitment, because you're not going to enjoy the entire task. But just imagine the outcome of your commitment to being your own boss.

Getting an education is a commitment, because you're not going to like every bit of your journey. But just imagine the outcome of your commitment to getting that degree or certification or diploma.

You may not like the task now, but you will love the outcome. You will only see the outcome when you decide to commit yourself to commitment. Don't commit to the task. Commit to commitment. If you said you'd do it, then do it for the sake of commitment. Stick with it until the job is done, and when you look back at where you came from, you'd want to make commitments more often.