Most people think commitment is about willpower.
Trying harder.
Being tougher.
Forcing yourself to follow through.
But commitment is more predictable than that.
One of the most important principles I have ever learned is this:
“The more we have invested into something, the less likely we are to let it fail.”
That principle explains a lot.
It explains why it is hard to let go of relationships.
It explains why it is hard for family businesses to change hands.
The investment creates attachment.
The problem is not understanding it logically.
The problem is living it.
The mistake most people make when it gets hard
If this principle is true, then here is what it suggests.
“When it becomes difficult to follow through on a commitment, we should increase our investment into that commitment.”
That is not what most people do.
Most people keep commitments conditionally.
We keep them as long as they are convenient.
But the moment it becomes inconvenient, we start negotiating.
We start questioning ourselves and imagining it would be easier somewhere else.
Ultra performers do the opposite.
“What the ultra performers do is they double down.
They increase the investment more personal development, more time, more prayer, more energy, more focus, more work.”
Why would they do that?
Because the more you put into it, the less likely you are to let it fail.
The hidden enemy is not the work
Whenever we face a decision about following through, there is an internal conversation about whether we should keep pursuing it.
Most people think that conversation is only about one thing: the physical energy required to execute.
But what I have learned from ultra performers is that there is a second type of energy being spent in the decision-making process.
It is not physical energy.
It is emotional energy.
And here is the kicker.
“Very often the emotional energy of making the decision is much greater than the physical energy required to execute the decision.”
That is why so many people lose before they even start.
They burn themselves out in the debate.
The toughest door to open
When I went door to door, we used to say, “the toughest door to open is the car door.”
The front door was not the problem.
The hardest door was getting my own butt out of my own car.
Why?
Because we have this battle that plays in our mind, and we let our imagination wander into everything that could go wrong.
Here is what I want you to know: that does not mean you are abnormal.
It means you are very normal.
It just means you have to train your brain to understand what is happening.
A practical way to become more committed
Here is a simple practice that helped me.
I made a rule: I have to get myself to the gym.
If I get myself to the gym and still do not feel like working out, I can turn around and come back.
And you know what happened?
I stayed at the gym.
Because once the decision was made, the context changed.
Even when I was tired.
Even when I was thinking about work.
Even when all these voices were pulling me in different directions.
I stuck with it anyway.
You are there.
And the physical energy shows up, because it was never a matter of physical energy.
Most of us lose to the emotional self-talk.
So if you want to become a more committed person, stop trying to win the debate in your head.
Change the context.
Increase the investment.
Remove the exit ramps.
The real question is not, “Do I feel like it?”
The real question is: what am I willing to invest to make this inevitable?
If you want help getting clear on what you are building, what you are committing to, and how to follow through with consistency, that is exactly what we do at Brand Builders Group.
Schedule a free brand strategy call with our team and we will help you clarify your message, your priorities, and the commitments that will create the future you want.
