Commitment Wins Over Passion

Just like the saying, “If wishes were horses, beggars will ride”, is the same way a lot of people desire to advance in life but that advancement will never come without them taking the necessary steps. These necessary steps are actions needed to attain a set goal. The year 2020 was significant in my life because it was a year I set out goals and as a result, cultivated great habits. As you know, 2020 was the year of the global pandemic, COVID-19 and the whole world was at a standstill.?

I was in bed one day during the lockdown thinking of what I could do with my time as it was like my whole life was at a standstill as a result of the necessary house imprisonment? the pandemic had sentenced the whole world to. As of that time, I had just passed from the NYSC a year ago and the only active thing I was doing before the lockdown was music as I had not been able to secure a job. So my major daily activities were basically my guitar rehearsals, arguing with some faceless folks on Nairaland, watching TV, eating, and sleeping.

While on my bed, I thought about my spiritual life that was nothing to write home about as I have been waking up, running through the day only to retire to my bed till the next day again without a word of prayer. So I made up my mind to always have a 5-minute prayer and at least read a verse of the Bible every day. This was one of the goals I set for myself and immediately, I stood from my bed to do a five-minute prayer but I was shocked I could only do two minutes after speaking many words. Damn! I would have thought I prayed for 10 minutes if not that I set a timer.

Fast forward to a new year, 2022, and like most people do, I made a new year resolution to learn a new language and after much research, I settled to learn French because it is the second most widely spoken language in the World after English. So I downloaded the Duolingo App where I still learn to date without missing a day since then.?

Now, there will always be the need for advancement or change in the course of our lives as complacency in a fast-evolving world could be tantamount to stagnation. Advancing in life starts with a desire- a passion for change. However, passion will not be enough to achieve that desired change. This is because human emotions are generally unstable as it is possible to feel great about an idea and be indifferent about it the next minute. Isn't it??

What is passion? Passion is love on fire, a burning desire for something. Sadly, nothing burns forever. Even your passion will never be an exemption to this notorious life reality. The storms of life will always come and you might get swept off your feet sooner than you expect.?

Back to my stories. The decisions I made to build a better spiritual life and learn a new language would not have seen the light of day if I relied on my passion alone. To be very honest, I sometimes don't feel like praying most of the days I wake up to my 5:00 am alarm. There are days I get to the house very late from work dead tired and I would just want to go to bed without taking lessons on Duolingo or reading a verse of the bible. What then keeps me going regardless of how weak and uninterested I might feel? Commitment!?

Commitment is what you need to sustain your passion for a desired change as your passion is merely at the mercy of your emotions and as I stated earlier, emotions are not stable. This is why some people go into marriage because they feel butterflies in their tummy only for them to get married and discover that love is not enough. It takes a sense of commitment to remain married and so it is for whatever you desire for your life. It will never happen or last on the platter of mere passion or love but by remaining committed.?

Remaining committed to a course can be a very gruesome thing to do because it entails discipline and self-denial. Of course, it will be very difficult for someone who usually wakes up around 8:00 am to start waking up to pray at 5:00 am. The body will no doubt kick against such a drastic change as it usually wants rest. Simply put, “Passion is easy but commitment is the hard work that makes things work and remain working”.?

How can one become committed to one’s goal? First, you will need to know that commitment is a virtue that doesn’t come naturally, it will take a deliberate effort to build. One of the best ways to build a sense of commitment is by having what I call a “commitment tracker” or accountability partner(s). I have been able to remain committed to my goals because I have apps on my phone that help. For example, both my Bible and Duolingo apps have trackers. So I can see the number of days I have been on streak and this I find very interesting. Imagine being on 882-day and 441-day streaks on Duolingo and YouVersion Bible like I am right now. Who wants to lose that type of streak? No one I guess. There was a time when I had a 314-day streak on my YouVersion Bible app but lost it because I forgot to open my Bible app one fateful Sunday. Damn! It is a pain I certainly don't want to feel again.?

Having an accountability partner who shares the same goal with you will also help to keep you grounded. I have come across book clubs where members come online every evening to cooperatively read a book. This can be a good start for someone who wants to cultivate a reading culture. There are gym programmes for people who want to lose weight and this can be a good idea for someone who is struggling with the right discipline to be in shape. So in the case that someone is struggling to maintain commitment, I will recommend becoming a member of a community of people with a shared goal.

Please note that it is important to start little when setting up a goal for oneself as starting big could become overwhelming and draining. I stated earlier that I could barely pray for 2 minutes when I started but I kept at it, then I discovered later that I could easily pray for 15 minutes, then 25 minutes, then 45 minutes, then 1 hour to the extent that my younger sister had to call me one day to ask how I can pray for that long. In her words, “What exactly do you say in your prayers that keeps you for such a long time?”. Honestly, I don't know. All I know is that I just set out to pray only to know that 30 minutes have passed while I am just about to go into the real prayer. You see, what you do every day becomes a habit and a habit is what you are naturally compelled to do.

Lastly, it takes a daily commitment to build the necessary habits that will eventually help you achieve your set goals. Likewise, it will take a daily commitment to help you get rid of unwanted habits, not just by a mere desire as passion. In all, get committed to your passion and win.?