Are You Interested or Committed
“There is a difference between commitment and interest. When you are interested in doing something, you do it when circumstances permit. When you are committed, you accept no excuses, only results.” Art Turock
The question to you is: “Are you interested or committed to attaining internal peace and reaching your fullest potential?” Your answer is fundamental and will determine your success. The quote above accurately states when you are interested in doing something, you do it when circumstances permit. I would put it another way. You do it when you get around to it, and should something else “pop” up, you drop it or put it on the back burner and attend to the other thing. A person is usually easily distracted from doing the things they are interested in unless there is commitment.
According to Webster’s dictionary, commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc. Whereas the definition of interest is: “the feeling of wanting to know or learn about something or someone.” When you are committed to doing or achieving something, you put greater effort into what you want to accomplish because of that dedication. Your actions are planned, and it becomes more difficult for you to become distracted by anyone or anything.
I am not suggesting that you will not encounter challenges and problems along the way. As long as you remain committed to your goals; to whatever you desire, you will be successful. You will overcome the challenges. When you are committed, you will feel ownership.
From the definition above, interest is a feeling. When something gets your attention and moves you emotionally, you become interested, but it only lasts for a while because there is no dedication.
A crucial thing you need to do to bolster your ability to remain committed is create a plan. A plan removes confusion. It helps you to stay focused and avoid distractions. It is like a road map that shows you how to reach your goal. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
When I was a teenager, I saw a group of karate students performing a demonstration breaking wood and bricks and executing maneuvers that truly impressed me. I decided there, and then I wanted to do those things, and I committed to becoming a black belt. Two years later, I achieved my black belt because of that commitment. I practiced my karate seven days per week and became an adroit karateka and would diminish wood and bricks to rubble with my bare hands.
On the other hand, I was always interested in becoming a tennis player; today, I can “proudly” announce that I am still interested in becoming a tennis player, having never pursued the sport vigorously. I was always easily distracted from playing tennis because of a lack of commitment to the sport.
The following two principles will help you remain committed and achieve your goals. You need to get rid of the distractions that threaten the achievement of your goals. Firstly, you need to part company with people who discourage you from going after your dreams. Secondly, the activities that consume your time and do not contribute to accomplishing your goals; you need to stop those activities and reassign the time to activities that help you achieve your goals. What a big difference this will make in your life.
Do you find that you seldom or never get to finish the things you started? Are you having difficulty keeping that meaningful relationship vibrant and effervescent? What about that promotion you were working so hard to get? Maybe the reason you are not accomplishing these things is because of your lack of commitment. Yes, you would like to have them. They interest you, but are you committed to achieving and maintaining them?
After you have achieved your goals, you need to continue with that commitment. Continue maintaining and keeping the things you sought hard after. Many people have lost what they gained due to not keeping their commitment and focus alive after getting what they wanted.
This principle of commitment can be used in every area of your life, including your commitment to achieving internal peace. So today, make that choice to move from just being interested to being committed, and you will see how great your life will change.
Remember to
- Create a plan and
- Eliminate the distractions from your life
Implementing these two principles will help you to reach your fullest potential. Make these principles a part of your everyday life now. Knowledge is only valuable when you are using it.
“There’s no abiding success without commitment” — Tony Robbins.
