Commitment – Your Success Depends On It!

When setting out to pursue something new, big, or worthwhile, the commitment required to see it through is hardly top of mind. In that moment there are many other factors fighting for your attention.

In a few days, my husband and I will celebrate 39 years of marriage together. On that memorable day back in 1986, committing “for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, etc.” all seemed like distant possibilities. Like most young couples, we were love struck and excited to embark on our life together.

Life has taken us places we could have never imagined. We’ve lived in three states, navigated two untimely job loses, raised three amazing children, and survived the seven years our daughter was chronically ill with a life-threatening illness.

We’ve endured the strain of my husband’s perpetual travels for work while I held down the fort homeschooling, running a business, and leading a ministry.

As our children left one by one for college and got married on the heels of graduating, we had to re-imagine what life would look like in our empty nest season.

We’ve walked through the challenges of Lyme disease together and the joy of grandchildren – so far, we have eight, each unique and beyond adorable!

Life has been rich. It has been difficult. In order for two very different people to navigate life together, there has to be a whole lot of commitment.

Commitment

People frequently comment that my husband and I have been married for such a long time. Based on what I see around me it seems like the commitment to marriage is dwindling. Perhaps it’s commitment in general that’s fading. After all, commitment is not easy and involves a grit and determination to stick with what they’ve started.

Back when my husband and I made the decision to commit our lives to one another, we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into or what was ahead! That’s what is interesting about commitment – you really have no way of knowing what surprises, obstacles, and challenges are up ahead.

Are you willing to do the hard work needed to stick it out and follow through with your commitment even when the going gets tough?

In light of how you use your time and resources, what would the people around you say you are committed to?

Commitment: A fierce readiness to do whatever it takes to complete and follow through with what you said you would do.

To be fully committed it requires:

1. Clarity

Do you know what you are committed to? That might sound like a silly question, yet sometimes you only have a vague notion of what exactly you are committing to! And sometimes, based on your day-to-day actions they might suggest a very different story!

Clarity around exactly what you are committed to is key!

As I described earlier, life has had numerous twists and turns over the course of our marriage. There’s no way I could have anticipated even half of the adventures in store for us. What I do know is that my husband and I have been and continue to be committed to keeping God at the center of our marriage, making each other a priority, and supporting each other in all that God has called us to.

Marriage is certainly worthy of commitment, and there are other important commitment worthy relationships and pursuits in your life including God, work, a business, goals, your calling, a lifestyle, a routine – the possibilities are endless!

What are you committed to?

Being clear on what you are committed to and why it matters provides purpose and motivation to keep on keeping on regardless of what complications you encounter along the way.

2. Caution

Be careful what you commit to. Nearly every week, I encounter someone who commits to doing something and then fails to follow through. That lack of follow through with what you said you would is something people don’t forget and impacts the level of trust you have with that person, even when what you committed to do is small.

Use caution when committing. When you do commit, be sure that you follow through with what you said you would do.

3. Determination

In this era of instant gratification, many give up when challenges arise. Many start, but it takes grit and determination to continue. When you are determined you to see problems, challenges, and obstacles as invitations to get innovative and creative! Unsuccessful attempts don’t stop you; they encourage you to learn, grow, and press on!

Sometimes being determined means seeking out help.

Staying focused isn’t an issue because you are determined (decided, settled, resolved) to make progress.

With determination, if you need to learn new skills or expand your knowledge in an area you’ll read books, learn from others, take classes, and experiment, but you won’t give up!

When you are truly committed, you will do whatever it takes!

4. Sacrifice

Being fully committed to something often means sacrificing something else. If you want a healthy marriage and thriving family, it may limit time spent at work or devoted to hobbies. If you have a personal goal you are committed to, it may mean giving up some enjoyable activities that might prevent you from achieving that goal.

Sacrifice might mean waiting, letting go, or doing something that doesn’t come naturally to you, or is hard. Sacrifice pinches – are you willing to endure the pain necessary to successfully stick to your commitments?

5. Boundaries

Unless you have boundaries in place, whatever you are committed to is vulnerable. Your boundaries are like a hedge of protection.

What boundaries are needed to protect the commitments you’ve made? Boundaries come in many forms including work boundaries, time boundaries, digital boundaries, relationship boundaries, and more.

6. Support

Going it alone is difficult! Surrounding yourself with others who are capable and willing to support your marriage, family, work, goals, etc. makes a significant difference! People who care about you and are willing to hold you accountable to your commitments. That might be a small group, business mastermind, or a coach, depending on your commitments.

Commitment will naturally drive you to seek out the help you need – a coach, a mentor, or an expert.

7. Priorities

When you start thinking about what you are truly committed to, that list might be a lengthy one! If so, it’s time to sort through your current commitments and determine which ones are your priority right now. Don’t fool yourself! Your capacity is limited. Even though you may have many interests, numerous special relationships, big dreams, and ambitious goals, the hard fact is that sometimes your commitments are actually in opposition to one another. By eliminating competing commitments, you increase the odds of success in the most important areas.

8. The Willingness to Take Action

The proof of your commitment lies in the actions you take! Therefore, being committed necessitates ACTION!

In this season of life, what are you committed to?

This post was originally posted on 4/10/18. It’s been updated and revised just for you and reflects a few more years of our commitment together!