The Ultimate Guide to Commitment
7 Steps to Building Commitment to Yourself and Your Potential
“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” — Vince Lombardi
Have you ever seen commitment in action? What do successful people do to commit to their goals?
As a food coach to dozens of clients for over five years, I know what commitment looks like. I have seen people focus on what they want to achieve. They make the necessary changes. They do everything in their power to become their future self.
Today I want to share with you step-by-step instructions to build commitment in your own life.
This article shatters the myth that commitment is an abstract concept or attribute. The article provides concrete steps to build commitment to yourself, your goals, and your potential for life success.
As a result, will be able to experience the power that comes with knowing what you want and taking charge to achieve your goals.
Commitment breeds life success. You determine the quality of your life by your commitment to yourself and your potential for excellence. Your commitment will grow as you understand your why and move forward with courage.
Let that commitment motivate you toward fulfilling your goals.
Everything You Wanted to Know About Commitment
“Commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.” — The Oxford Dictionary
As a basic concept, commitment breeds action. Commitment is caring about something so intently, so persistently, so passionately, that it drives you to action. You cannot help but do what you say you want to do.
In the presence of commitment, your goals become part of the very fibers of your being. The thought of achieving your goals energizes you.
Commitment takes strength, courage, and focus, but it is always worth it to see your goals come to fruition.
Commitment means giving your all
“Giving our all doesn’t mean that we will be continually enveloped in blessings or always have success. But it does mean that we will have joy.” — Terence Vinson
Commitment is not a half-hearted effort. You cannot say you want to achieve something while only putting minimal effort toward the goal. With commitment, it’s all or nothing.
Former CEO Terence Vinson described his experiences as a rugby player during his youth. Before a game against a lower-ranked team, he decided to conserve his energy to enjoy a local dance later that evening.
During that rugby game, he came away with a fat lip after an interaction with an opposing team member. Because he was not fully committed to that game, the fat lip represented his lack of commitment.
In contrast, during a different game, he gave his all. He played his best with all his effort. This time he came away with a broken jaw. The doctor wired his mouth shut for six weeks to allow his jaw to heal. Nevertheless, that broken jaw represented his full commitment to the rugby game.
Commitment involves sacrifice
“If you need to be forced to do the things you want to do, you’re not clear on what it is you really want.” — Joe Polish
Sacrifice involves giving up something good for something even better. Sacrifice does, however, require a long-term focus to truly appreciate the effort.
Some of my clients have specific food restrictions. Sometimes their limited diet is only temporary. Yet they often cannot motivate themselves to stay on the diet. They often feel “denied” that they cannot eat foods that others are eating (sweets, alcoholic drinks, etc.).
Clients often do not understand the sacrifice (giving up particular foods) needed to achieve their end goal (healing the body). They do not have the commitment, the drive, or the foresight needed to achieve their goals.
Commitment Leads to Success
“Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.” — Jim Rohn
Professional basketball player Kobe Bryant possessed that commitment and drive forward. From his earliest days as a youth, he practiced basketball moves at home, at the gym, and on the court. He watched countless hours of basketball on television — learning from the pros.
He possessed that commitment. That drive. That motivation toward success.
The results of his efforts were not only for himself. He also inspired countless other future basketball players and leaders.
Commitment is what propels you forward toward meeting your goals.
Commitment is what inspires you with ideas of how to fulfill your goal.
Commitment means taking responsibility for the results of what you want.
When you commit to a goal, you step forward boldly. You may not have all the answers or know exactly how to go about fulfilling your goal.
Nevertheless, you move forward anyway.
With courage.
Even with a little apprehension.
Then just as you get into a routine, things start to happen.
You start building habits that stick. Those habits become a normal and natural part of life.
You find yourself moving on the path toward goal achievement.
Doing so is exhilarating. It’s refreshing. It’s motivating. It’s rewarding.
Commitment brings success for you and those in your area of influence.
Perspectives on Commitment
“Don’t lose sight of your goals and commitment. The road to success can be long and hard, but it will all be worth it in the end.” — Paul Bailey
What does true commitment look like? How can you replicate commitment in your own life?
Two contrasting profiles of coaching clients exemplify the need for commitment.
Each is a composite profile based on my coaching experiences with over 40 different clients. The profiles are not intended to represent any particular client or circumstance. Several themes run through each of these scenarios.
Let these profiles and themes motivate you toward greater commitment to yourself and your food goals.
What True Commitment Looks Like
“Begin with the end in mind.” — Stephen R. Covey
Olivia started with a plan. She committed from the very beginning.
She had worked with a coach several years ago. Since that time, many events have happened in her life. She advanced in her career, she had children. She moved to a new city.
Focusing on these situations caused her to gain back much of the weight she previously lost.
She then felt it was time to reflect on her healthy habits of the past and recommit to those habits.
Her goal was more involved than even her past successes. She desired not only weight loss, but a true food transformation.
She reflected on what worked for her in the past on several food topics within a plant-based eating plan. She made recipes that used prepared foods, raw foods, and a mixture of the two.
Making quick meals meant she could still focus on her health without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
Being a full-time mom and full-time career woman, time was at a premium. Mealtime was a big priority for herself and her family throughout the day.
She created many different success-oriented habits:
- having a smoothie for breakfast
- taking a healthy lunch to work
- keeping healthy snacks on hand
No matter what the situation, she had a plan.
Each time before eating, she assessed her hunger and fullness levels. She then used that information to decide what to eat. She asked herself several questions:
- Am I genuinely hungry?
- How hungry/full am I?
- Am I just bored?
- What is my energy level?
- What are my energy needs today?
She implemented different signals for herself to regulate her hunger and fullness levels. Tapping on the table or pushing the plate away physically confirmed she was full and done eating. Wrapping up any leftovers to store them in the refrigerator kept her from temptation.
Visual and mental cues were perfect reminders of her future self and achieving her health goals.
Olivia focused on mindful eating to understand what her body needed throughout the day.
Understanding her nutritional needs enabled her to focus on the flavors, taste, and textures of the food.
All this is not to say that she did not falter at times. For example, she occasionally ate less than healthy snacks or over-indulged on an especially delicious meal. Acute illnesses changed her body’s nutritional needs.
Each situation became a learning experience. She built her confidence to advance toward goal achievement and beyond.
What Lack of Commitment Looks Like
“You always have two choices: your commitment versus your fear.” — Sammy Davis Jr
Michael had good intentions. He genuinely wanted to improve meal routines.
His eating habits were not the best. Making it worse, he was easily tempted with sweets or other junk food around the house or at work.
Michael ate out most of the time. Being physically demanding, his job required a large time commitment. He ate fast food items at local restaurants and convenience stores near where he worked. Mealtime at home was not much better.
He recognized that his eating habits needed to change.
He wanted to feel better.
He began doing some food research.
Michael set a reasonable goal to try new foods.
However, his confidence and commitment were lacking.
He did not have any sense of urgency or time commitment.
He let his circumstances and the environment get the best of him.
He didn’t understand that goal achievement involves an internal commitment.
When he did slip up, he was very quick to spotlight his mistakes.
Doubting himself became a habit.
Because of that, he kept pulling himself back down again and again. His negative attitude quickly erased any hints of progress. It became a one step forward, two steps back scenario.
Michael’s attitude stifled his progress and deflated any desire to move forward.
He expected an external solution to his problems.
He expected someone to be monitoring him constantly. He failed to take a proactive role in his health and well being.
Michael became what is known in the coaching world as a disengaged client. Occasionally he sent a short message about his situation. Most of the time he did not respond, regardless of my endless encouragement and help.
He gave lip service to his health, but he was not motivated to make it happen.
He had a plan in place, but he lacked the motivation and direction to fulfill his commitment.
He supposedly knew what he wanted was important, but that knowledge was not enough. Every slip up became an excuse to not move forward.
He ultimately quit the coaching experience.
Level of Commitment Makes the Difference
“Without commitment, nothing happens.” — T.D.Jakes
What is the difference between the coaching scenarios of Olivia and Michael?
Level of commitment
Michael said he wanted to achieve the goal of eating better, but his heart was not in it.
Olivia, in contrast, committed from the very beginning. She saw the end state of where she wanted to be, and never took her eye off that goal.
Degree of self-confidence
Michael continually was down on himself for messing up his eating habits (eating sweets, processed food, etc.). His negative attitude created a downward spiral that he could not overcome.
Olivia, on the other hand, used the times when her eating habits were less than optimal as a learning experience. She continued to assess what happened and why. She discovered how to make small adjustments to keep her focus on her food goal.
Motivation for change
Michael was perfectly fine with the status quo. He did not envision his future self as being any different or any better than his current self. There was no motivation for change — no reason to use any energy in moving from Point A to Point B.
Olivia was excited to see her future self. She felt refreshed, invigorated, and alive as she strived to change her eating habits and lose weight.
The 7 Steps to Success in Building Commitment
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi
Many factors feed into commitment. Having a clear goal and a specific plan to achieve that goal creates inevitable success. You will have bad days. Yet these times teach and enable you to recalibrate your efforts.
The very first commitment you need to make, regardless of what goal you are trying to achieve, is to YOURSELF.
Nobody can force you to change. Whatever your food and health goals, you are the only one who can execute.
How do you start?
Step 1: Understand True Commitment
“Most people fail not because of a lack of desire, but because of a lack of commitment.” — Vince Lombardi
True commitment is internal.
You are in charge of your life. Nobody can fulfill your goals but you.
You need to be the one to decide on a plan and then move forward with courage.
You won’t always have all the information you need at the beginning.
Often that information and direction comes a little at a time. You may not be 100% confident. There may be some trepidation in your step. You may be a little nervous.
That’s normal. That’s natural.
But you need to acknowledge that and make needed changes.
Gain the inner strength to move forward.
Step 2: Create SMART Goals
“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” — Andrew Carnegie
The acronym SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time-Based
Establishing SMART goals means getting very fine-grained with them. If you are not setting clear goals, you are not paving the way and creating a path to where you want to go.
For example, it’s not enough to say you want to lose weight. Losing weight is not a problem. It is a symptom of a larger problem of needing to develop healthy eating habits.
Consider what you want to achieve and include specific details such as the following:
- how strictly you want to adhere to this goal
- the time frame for achievement
- why do you want to achieve this goal (what is the goal above the goal)
Step 3: Know Your Why
“Regardless of WHAT we do in our lives, our WHY — our driving purpose, cause or belief — never changes.” — Simon Sinek
The next step to commitment is understanding why you want to achieve the goal.
Understanding why is the driver for everything you do. If you do not understand why you want to do something, there is no motivation to achieve your goal. There is no motivation to get to your destination.
Let the why filter your choices.
Organizational psychologist Benjamin Hardy tells a story of a rowing team practicing for the Olympics. They based every decision they made on the filter of, “Will it make the boat go faster?”
I invite you to set a decision filter for your own choices. Here are some examples:
- Will eating X help me lose weight?
- Will X help me develop more consistent habits?
- What cues or reminders can I put in place to help me be successful?
Visualize the why.
That why will make or break your efforts.
If you are not solid in your why, you will not be as committed to your goals. You may have a tough time achieving your goals until you can get clarity and specific with the why.
Your commitment will grow as you understand why and move forward with courage.
Step 4: Plan your strategy
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” — Antoine de Saint Exupery
How are you going to reach your goals?
Have a plan.
Creating a plan is crucial.
Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
You may want to eat healthier, for example. You then need to think through HOW that will play out and HOW you will accomplish healthier eating. If you don’t know how you are going to accomplish something, it’s just a wish. There is no direction or movement forward.
Step 5: Conduct Daily Assessment
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” — Peter Drucker
Conduct a daily assessment of your situation. Ask yourself whether you achieved a certain goal. Review the reasons behind your decisions.
What happened and why?
Ask yourself what thoughts, feelings or attitudes drove your decision-making that day.
Using that information, you can recalibrate and make the changes necessary for success.
As Stanford researcher BJ Fogg emphasizes, it doesn’t take huge moves to build healthy habits. It is the small, tiny habits that make the difference.
There is a well-known story of a train engineer coordinating a journey from Boston to New Orleans. The engineer’s job was to coordinate with several other engineers to get a train to its destination. Unfortunately, an engineer in another city flipped the wrong switch. The train ended up in San Diego — over 1800 miles from its intended destination.
Small decisions and actions can have great consequences.
When it comes to your level of commitment, keep moving! Don’t remain in a status quo for long. Constantly ask yourself the following questions:
- Has this become a habit for me?
- What is my comfort level in developing this habit?
- How can I challenge myself to engrain this habit into the very fibers of my being?
Step 6: Celebrate Victory AND Defeat
“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” — George S. Patton
Life and business strategist Tony Robbins emphasizes the need to not wait to celebrate until you achieve your ultimate goal. Instead, cheer and celebrate the multiplicity of successes along the way.
Celebrate all accomplishments. Even the little victories.
There are many steps to get to where you want to go. Celebrate those victories. Make time to understand how those victories occurred.
As you do so, those successes motivate you to keep pressing forward toward your goal. Celebrating those victories builds your confidence and prepares you for the next challenge.
Step 7: Embrace Learning
“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” — B.B. King
Treat every day as a learning experience.
Maybe on some days, you followed your plan.
You ate healthier. You ate some greens. You drank plenty of water.
You were well focused.
Reflect on that plan and write it down so that you know what it feels like to achieve that goal.
On the days you don’t follow the plan, write it down anyway.
What happened? What caused you to slip up and not follow the plan?
You can learn from that experience and make better choices in the future.
Commitment is what propels you forward. Commitment is what helps you be dedicated to a cause. It helps you have the focus you need to fulfill whatever goals you set out for yourself.
If you are not 100% committed, then your plan will tend to backfire.
Go forward with a plan. Become better each day because of your plan and your commitment to that plan.
Forget the Past, Think Next Steps
“Believe in your infinite potential. Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself.” — Roy T. Bennett
Building your commitment starts today. Commitment begins with a desire to improve. Developing a plan and executing that plan comes afterward. The whole process begins with a desire to move forward in your life.
As you have a well thought out and established plan, starting your journey won’t be an issue. You will conclude that success is inevitable.
Don’t let fear take over. Develop and strengthen your commitment and follow through on it.
Good intentions are not good enough. Goal achievement requires a strong commitment.
Reflect and learn from the past for success in the future. Create success-oriented habits.
As you execute your plan, success will be inevitable, and you will become your future self.
Become who you want to be.
Start today.
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As a Food Experience Architect and Instructional Psychologist, Michelle Seidling, PhD empowers working professionals to develop healthy, sustainable eating habits for life success. Find Michelle on Medium, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
