The Commitment Hack

Perhaps it’s because I have been on the planet long enough to be able to leverage introspect, retrospect and prospects that I am. I am prepared to provide testimony to the Commitment Hack. Either you are committed or you are not. Either you will reach down and lift heaven and hell to meet a goal or you won’t. Goal achieved equals time committed. See most people give up way to soon. A little resistance - a little pain and they give up. They have not learned Commitment Hack. 

I have my own experiences with commitment. I have set goals and made the commitment to complete those goals. I navigated setbacks, obstacles, but the Commitment Hack ensured I arrived. Not necessarily when I planned, but I arrived to my goal all the same. I recall it took two classes to complete the training necessary to become a Navy diver and bomb disposal technician (Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician). I remember the first day vividly. I started with a class of EOD assistants. Most had been to Dive School before and they knew what to expect. I sat next to a guy from Oklahoma and he was from the Fleet like me. We even looked differently from our classmates dressed in BDUs.  We wore the Navy dungaree uniform. The instructor told us to look left and right – not all of would graduate. Thirty years later, I never regretted a single sand run, bayou swim, confidence equipment doff and don. The commitment paid off.  As a matter of fact, because I know the value, I really enjoy commitment stories from the world around us and I look up to those that understand the value and reward of the Commitment Hack.

What does commitment mean? Commitment is defined as, an act of either intellectual or emotional devotion to a goal or action. My favorite way to think about can be related through a storied about ham and eggs that I have seen quoted by many - My favorite comes from Dartmouth 2003 rowing coach David Shamszad who inspire his team with a father and son story about the difference between contribution and commitment. The father told the son to look at his breakfast plate. He said son,” the chicken’s egg was a contribution but the pig - the pig made a commitment.” He went on to tell his team, “I want you to row like pigs!” 

Sports are a ripe arena to hear great quotes about commitment. A couple that standout included:

“There are only two options regarding commitment. You’re either in or you’re out. There’s no such thing as life in-between.” – Pat Riley

“If you don't make a total commitment to whatever you're doing, then you start looking to bail out the first time the boat starts leaking. It's tough enough getting that boat to shore with everybody rowing, let alone when a guy stands up and starts putting his life jacket on.”- Lou Holtz

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” - Vince Lombardi

 â€œJust put one foot in front of the other and don't worry about the length of the path. Once you get on that path, and the longer you stay on it, there eventually will come a time when you will not turn back.” - Martina Navratilov

A quick search on the internet and one can find that success, leadership and trust all have a unique connection to commitment. It is clear. Take a second and reflect on the best moments in life. The moments when one is really satisfied with the results and outcome are usually accompanied by an earlier moment when one is truly committed. The Commitment Hack is as simple as waking each day with a goal and by recognizing the value of building on daily goals until one completes the journey. Goal setting is the life blood of the “Comment Hack.” I challenge one to find a single success story that persisted that did not have goals as part of the success. 

If goal setting is the “Commitment Hack’s” life blood, grit and hard work is the backbone of the Commitment Hack. The legendary female tennis player Billie Jean King stated, “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” The modern day greatest tennis player alive, Serena Williams, agrees stating, “Everyone’s dream can come true if you just stick to it and work hard.”

The work and sweat necessary for commitment goes beyond sports every leader knows commitment is a daily grind. President John F. Kennedy, attributes world peace to commitment when he stated, “Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.” In other words, if we ever want world peace, we need to commit. Our current and past presidents valued commitment.  President Abraham Lincoln believed, “Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.” And President, Donald Trump rewards commitment as part of loyalty to the Trump brand, “When employees and employers, even coworkers, have a commitment to one another, everyone benefits. I have people who have been in business with me for decades. I reward their loyalty to the organization and to me. I know that they’ll always be dedicated to what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Finally NBA great LeBron James sums it up commitment, the value, the effort required this way: "Commitment is a big part of what I am and what I believe. How committed are you to winning? How committed are you to being a good friend? To being trustworthy? To being successful? How committed are you to being a good father, a good teammate, a good role model? There's that moment every morning when you look in the mirror: Are you committed, or are you not?"

It is clear to those past and present that have achieved something of value that commitment and Commitment Hack of setting goals and enduring until the goal is achieved is necessary. Try it. For some true happiness is tied to commitment - and who among us need less of that!

*****References And More*******

In 2016 “The Rock” became the highest paid actor in Hollywood. Johnson was quoted to say, “Being a true bad ass has no weight or gender requirement - just 100% commitment to greatness.”

“The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.” - Martina Navratilov

A poem by Edgar A. Guest entitled “Sermons We See.” - Shared by Former Secretary of the Navy, John Dalton  

I’d rather see a sermon

?than hear one any day,

I’d rather one would walk with me

than merely tell the way;

The eye’s a better pupil

and more willing than the ear,

Fine counsel is confusing,

but example’s always clear;

The best of all the preachers

are the men who live their creeds,

For to see good put in action

is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it,

if you’ll let me see it done,

I can watch your hands in action,

your tongue too fast may run;

The lectures you deliver

may be very wise and true,

But I’d rather get my lessons

by observing what you do;

I may not understand

the high advice you give,

But there’s no misunderstanding

how you act and how you live.

Hack Series by Jim Ryan

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John F. Kennedy - Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly...https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_f_kennedy_135037

Row Like Pigs by David Shamsza https://youtu.be/5lh8frIBd50

26 Tough-Minded Leadership Quotes for Better Performance https://conantleadership.com/26-tough-minded-leadership-quotes-performance/

20 Top Commitment Quotes - LeadershipGeeks.com https://www.leadershipgeeks.com/commitment-quotes/

20 Inspiring Quotes on Commitment https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/20-inspiring-quotes-on-commitment/

Commitment Quotes https://www.famousquotesandauthors.com/topics/commitment_quotes.html

The Rock Dwayne Johnson football career, WWE, acting - Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/tech-media/2016/11/30/dwayne-johnson-the-rock-nfl-wrestling-hollywood-star

What It Takes To Achieve Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Success. https://medium.com/carl-pullein/what-it-takes-to-achieve-dwayne-the-rock-johnsons-success-d2735f72bdc6

Top 30 quotes of DWAYNE JOHNSON famous quotes and sayings | inspringquotes.u https://www.inspiringquotes.us/author/3100-dwayne-johnson

Characteristics of successful entrepreneurs: Commitment https://www.hiscox.com/blog/characteristics-successful-entrepreneurs

Commitment - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/commitment