When you make a commitment, you eliminate all other options and show that you are dedicated to something. We value commitments to ourselves less than we value those we make to others.
There’s commitments to contracts with others all the time, whether it’s paying our phone or rent payments on time or sticking to the terms of a work agreement. We take our promises seriously, and we feel guilty if we break a commitment to a friend.
But when it comes to commitments we make to ourselves, we often default on them and don’t follow through.
Commit to yourself, your goals, and your purpose.
To live a life you’re proud of, one full of meaning and purpose, you need to build it for yourself. This year, let’s commit to making changes in our lives and follow through with them.
Here are some 10 commitments you can make to yourself this year:
1. Embrace humility
Understand that we may not have everything figured out. And while we are trying to figure stuff out, the person in front of us is probably also trying to figure things out. Humility allows us to admit when we could have done something better and helps us to face our fears and overcome the obstacles that stand in our way.
2. Stretch yourself in meaningful ways.
This could mean exercising, learning new things, or taking on a leadership role. By pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone and challenging ourselves, we become stronger and more capable of achieving our goals.
3. Make a commitment to do the “heavyweight work,” the masterwork.
Do the tasks that very few people are willing to do in order to achieve exceptional results. If you want to fix the big stuff, fix the small stuff. Paying attention to the small tasks, the simple tasks, that’s what starts out your mastery work. Do the work.
4. Commit to being an existentialist.
“If it’s gonna be, it’s up to me.” When you become an existentialist in your thinking, nothing will ever be somebody else’s fault. This means taking complete responsibility for our actions and recognizing that our successes and failures are entirely up to us.
5. Be high-energy.
When you are proud of what you do, you get enthusiastic about it. And while you can’t give an emotion you don’t have, how can you get someone to be enthusiastic about doing business with you if you aren’t enthusiastic about it? If you feel like you’ve lost your passion and enthusiasm, make a commitment to yourself to find it again.
6. Unlock the genius from within to unlock the genius within other people.
“Until one acknowledges the genius within oneself, one will have great difficulty recognizing it in others.”
7. Make a commitment to being uncomfortable.
Get uncomfortable with being uncomfortable. Growth and all of the things you want to achieve do not lie within your comfort zone.
8. Forgive yourself.
You should forgive yourself for not being perfect, for not starting sooner, or for not starting things that you wanted to do at all. Also forgive yourself for not learning from your mistakes, for things not always going as planned, and do not beat yourself up over it. Owning it shows who you are.
9. Commit to continuing to get back on the horse and trying again.
Be relentless. “No” doesn’t mean no; keep trying and always follow through.
10. Commit to being the best at what you do.
You have to believe in yourself, and then you have to work at mastering your craft. Will you do your part?
Conclusion: Making the commitment
Each day we have a choice to make. We can either face the challenges ahead of us or let them hold us back from achieving our goals and serving our purpose. Behavior change isn’t easy. We need to feel safe and capable of making a commitment to ourselves to have a better life. It’s up to us to create that sense of safety by optimizing our chances of succeeding.
You have everything you need to change your life and improve yourself completely. All you have to do is commit to yourself and believe in yourself. By making these commitments and following through on them, we can achieve success and enjoy a more fulfilling and rewarding life.
