I had some comments the other night about an old article about Commitment. It was one of those things – you get an inspiration in a second, write it out in five minutes, put it out there and rarely think about it.
But sure enough, I’ve had a lot of comments about such articles and this one I want to now revisit.
The first article was mostly about the act of committing to something. How and why to go from the icy, stifling waters of indecision to the warm embrace of a life defined by commitment. If you feel a tinge at this point… stay with me. 😉
Now, this begs the question: what then? Isn’t it kind of boring to just stay committed to one idea, one organization, one spouse, one whatever…?
Not at all. Let me explain why.
- The good accumulates over time. Now this is a principle you simply won’t know of until you’ve been in a committed situation for an extended period of time. Because the thing is, you simply won’t know the beauty of accumulation if you jump from one thing to another, whether it’s romantic partners, employers or sports. When you stay committed, you give life a chance to accumulate good things on top of good things. This means you need to WORK LESS for it. Sound good so far?
- It’s easier to make decisions. The truth is, most indecision comes from not knowing where you stand. Ask a committed liberal or a right-winger about any issue at all, and a decision comes shooting right out of their mouth. 🙂 Sorry, that may be an extreme example but it paints the picture well. But the point is, when you have your internal frame of reference 100% imbibed in your spinal cord, as it were, you will have a much easier time making decisions that support it.
- Quantum leaps over time. This is another factor you’ll only discover by living it. If you’re in a long committed relationship, there will come a time when a quantum leap happens, all by itself. You come across a threshold, and suddenly you have kids, buy a house, or move to another country. Or maybe it’s something less tangible. Maybe you’ve been golfing 15 years and suddenly it all clicks together and you’re getting it, shaving notches off your handicap. Or in your business, you’ve patiently serviced a client for small change for years because you’re good friends, giving more than you receive. Suddenly they get promoted and you get ten times the business. It happens! 🙂
- Find new from the old. When you’re in a committed situation for a long time, you learn to view it ALL positively. It’s just the only way to survive when committed, let alone thrive. This means that, even though you know EVERYTHING about it, once in a while you’re able to shed new light on what’s familiar, and suddenly everything’s new again! You find out your spouse has a lovely smile you never thought to appreciate, and you both share something new. You realize your business had a small side business you just forgot to grow, and then you do it. May sound like one of the smaller perks, but trust me, it isn’t!
- Find old from the new. When you’re living committed, all-new situations don’t intimidate you as much as they maybe did some time before. You’re able to face new challenges, fresh situations and even crises with the knowledge that you’ve been through it before, and you have the tools to deal with it. Been there, done that. Not so if you’ve spent your life going from one thing to another, not stopping by long enough to learn the lesson that was in the offing. It’s the ‘warm and fuzzy feeling’ of being on track, being on familiar ground, even when breaking NEW ground. It’s a gift.
There you have it. Five more reasons why commitment is worth it, especially in the long term.
So are you still jumping around in life, not receiving the ample benefits of definite commitment? Try it in one area of life, then another. You’ll soon come to know first-hand the ultimate benefits of commitment.
No Comments
Leave a comment Cancel