“It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.”
Zig Ziglar
How committed are you?
Your answer to this question means everything.
Why?
Because your level of commitment will dictate the effort you put into anything. When you fail to truly commit to something, you won’t follow through.
Most people don’t understand the power of commitment. They go on diets, enter into relationships, and start businesses without truly committing. They have safety nets, fallbacks and a Plan B just in case it doesn’t work out.
By doing that, you’re instantly sending your brain a powerful signal. And that signal is that you’re not committed. So how do you really commit to something and why is your level of commitment so important?
Let me explain.
Burn. The. Ships.
Many years ago, a general landed his fleet on the enemy’s shores. Prepared to wage a nasty battle, the fleet was outnumbered. The men knew that. So did the general.
But the general also knew that because they were outnumbered and their chances were slim to winning that battle, he needed to do something to get the mens’ commitment.
He mulled it over for a few minutes, then made a brash decision. Lining the men up on the shore in front of the ships, he launched into a heated discourse.
Just before his long-winded speech to his men, he instructed his lieutenants to burn the ships. As he spoke, the ships went up in flames. He told the soldiers that there was now no retreat. Either they win or they perish there.
They won that battle against a superior enemy because there was no return. They’d burned the ships. The general knew that the desire for the men to see their families would win out their disadvantage on the battlefield.
And it worked.
Create Rock-Solid Commitment To Your Goals
It’s easy to set goals. But harder to follow through. Most leading studies pin the success rate at roughly 8% for long-term goals.
That means that 92% give up on their goals. That’s a harsh statistic. But rather than looking at those who fail, let’s look at those who succeed. What are they doing differently than the others?
There are a number of things. Of those, here are the most important factors as to why only 8% succeed at achieving those big lofty goals.
1. They create an ironclad mindset of true belief in themselves
Without belief, you have nothing. There is so much that will stand in your way of doing something big, so if you’re not a believer, you’ll fail. Plain and simple.
Those who succeed, create ironclad belief by ensuring a positive mindset. They eliminate negativity and ignore the naysayers. When you truly want something, you can’t let anything get in your way.
True commitment requires first getting your mind right. Understand that you will come up against friction. There will be opposition. You can’t let that get in your way if you really want something.
Understand that you must believe in yourself before anyone else can believe in you. That is a huge part of the recipe for success. Without belief, you have nothing.
As the bible states, in Matthew 17:20, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
2. They remove all possibilities of retreat or a safety net
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But the weak also quit. And you don’t want that. But one of the biggest reasons why we quit is that we give ourselves a way out.
In effect, we don’t burn the ships. Do we? We open a path to help solve our temporary pain just in cases it gets too hard. By doing that, we set the stage for retreat. Not for success.
Situations that place your back against the wall are actually good. They create true character. And they ensure creativity. You’ll get the job done when there’s literally no other choice.
But when you have that safety net, it’s way less likely you’ll follow through. As a result, you’ll join that 92% of quitters rather than the 8% who actually follow through.
3. They set lackluster goals and don’t have a plan of action for winning
Do you have weak goals? If you don’t set your goals the right way, your commitment will wax and wane. One minute you’ll be gung ho. The next, you’ll throw your hands up in silent resignation.
The problem is that most people don’t think that they need to set actual goals or create a plan. Well, it makes all the difference. If you want evidence of that, just take a look at this Harvard MBA Study.
In the study, the class was asked a few questions before graduation. They were asked whether they had goals. And, if so, whether they had plans in place to attain those goals.
Shockingly (or maybe not depending on your point of view), 84% of that class had no goals at all. But 13% of the class did have goals, but no plans. Only 3% of the class had both goals and plans for their attainment.
Can you guess what happened? That 3% of the class wound up making 10 times more money than the other 97%. Yep. Ten times more. That’s an order of a magnitude greater.
4. They lack faith during the hard times that they’ll see things through
Faith is big. Very big. Without faith, it’s impossible to even drive your car. How can you trust that the other person won’t cross the white line and careen into you in a head-on collision?
Without faith, how can you have trust and faith in what tomorrow will bring? When you lack faith, you lack the ability to stay totally committed to your cause.
Especially in times of failure, this is crucial. Without faith, you can’t keep going. You’ll turn around and give up. We’ve all been there and done that. But when you’re totally committed, your faith runs deep.
No amount of heartache or failure or upset can hold you back when you have enough faith. It’s an enormous part of the recipe for success in anything at all.
5. They fail to surround themselves with the right people
Getting in the right room with the right people is tough. Especially when you’re introverted. But at the end of the day, it’s not what you know. It is most certainly who you know.
It’s easier to stay committed when you’re surrounded by examples of people who inspire you to be more and do more. It’s harder to give up. Especially when you hear the stories of what people had to go through to succeed.
I know that getting in the right room is hard. But you need to do what it takes. If you can buy your way into a high-level mastermind, do it. Don’t be shy about it. Spend the money. It will be the best investment you ever make.