It’s the season of crashing and burning on new year’s resolutions. Left and right people are falling off the wagon and going back to whatever they vowed against.
Sometimes what we need is a commitment to the commitment. Instead of committing to eating better, maybe we need to commit to the commitment of eating better. That way, when we fail once, we don’t fall off the wagon and end our resolution in January, we instead try to eat better again at the next meal. We all mess up, but those who don’t quit on their commitment are the ones who create sustainable change.
It’s like marriage, you make a commitment to your spouse for life. When things get weird or hard or you have a fight, you don’t peace out. You’re committed. And so it should be with all the things you’re trying to improve.
But there’s something bigger amiss here. We know we can stay committed to something and do it half-way for a while. But why can’t we create sustainable momentum on what we resolve to do? It’s because we can’t create sustainable change by trying to change a behavior. We can create sustainable change only when we deal with the beliefs that drive our behaviors.
Do we fear that there won’t be enough? Do we stress about the future of our businesses? Do we worry about all the things? We need to ask ourselves why we do what we do.
Here are some questions to consider:
- What drives my stress/fear/behavior?
- Are my worries/beliefs founded?
- What can I do to change things?
- Does the worry help?
Our well-intentioned resolutions aren’t just for us, right? Maybe you want to be healthy to ensure you get to walk your daughter down the aisle someday. Maybe you want to restrain your spending so you’re able to give more to others. Or maybe you want to streamline your workflow so that you can better serve your clients. We should seek to do the hard work of dealing with what drives us, not just for us, but so that others’ lives are better as well.
Imagine if we committed to learning about and dealing with what drives us. Then, instead of making a bunch of small commitments (like eating better, stressing less, etc.), we would consistently be improving due to our singular commitment to dealing with all the worries and beliefs that drive us.
We all long to create sustainable change in our lives, our relationships and our businesses. Committing to the process and dealing with what drives us can make a huge difference in our lives and the lives of those around us.
Cover image info: Original, royalty-free image by Roman Pohorecki.
About the author: Lindsey Tolino comes alongside artisans, craftsman and people monetizing their passions to help them create healthy businesses. She shares her heart at ToBusinessOwners.com. Follow her on Twitter @LindseyTolino.
