We make a lot of commitments in our lives - day in and day out. At work we make commitments to our boss, our colleagues, our teams and the organisation. At home we make commitments to our spouse, children, parents and relatives. And of course one cannot forget our commitments to our near and dear friends. Whew ! No wonder many of us are weighed down by these commitments. We keep some and miss others. The burden of keeping up with the commitments makes many of us look at them dispassionately and mechanically.
Commitment means staying loyal to what you said after the mood you said it in has left you. There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when it is convenient. When you are committed to something, there are no excuses - only results. In the mad rush of our daily life, we end up forgetting the most important commitments that one should make. The commitment to ourselves, for ourselves. The first step is often the hardest.
Most of us learn early in our life that we need to first secure ourselves before we can help others. Learn to manage yourself before you can manage a team and an organisation. Learn a skill yourself before you can teach or coach others in the same skill. Even in an emergency, we are supposed to first secure ourselves before we can attempt to save someone else. Is it not fair then you make commitments to yourself first, before you make commitments to others ?
Make yourself a priority because at the end of the day you are the longest commitment. Its time to commit yourself to your goals, work hard and stop making excuses. When you make a commitment, you build hope. When you keep a commitment, you build trust. Commitment is pushing yourself when no one else is around. It is important to hang on, because it is astonishing how short a time it takes for wonderful things to happen when you keep a commitment.
So, go ahead. Make that commitment to yourself, for yourself. With a clear understanding that you are pledging your integrity. If you deserve commitment from anyone, it is yourself.