The ONE thing that changes EVERYTHING....

I?recently?stumbled upon an interesting article on gym membership in the US

As per that article,?63%?of gym memberships in US go completely unused

82%?of gym members go to the gym less than once per week

22%?completely stop going six months into their membership

These numbers were pre-covid and I am sure that statistics would be very similar across the globe

Similar stats exist in another area – online courses

Completion rates for online courses vary between?5%-15%

Why does this happen ?

Why do people sign-up for gym membership with such fanfare in the beginning of the year and then drop out ?

Why do people buy online courses with an intent to learn but never complete the course ?

One big reason why this happens is….

Lack of Commitment

As per French language, the "commitment" originated from the word “commettement”, which meant?"the pledging or engaging of oneself, a pledge, a promise"

But I will add another element to this definition –?irrevocability, something which cannot be reversed?

And that’s really the true essence of a commitment –?an irrevocable promise or pledge to do something

Nothing changes till you commit. But….

Once you commit, everything changes

If you reflect on your list of goals....

..Some of the goals are on the list purely because they are wishful thinking

..Some are there because someone else has told you to do so or because others are also doing it

..Some of the goals are there because it makes you look or feel good

So you may have too many goals, but you may NOT be committed to most of them

That’s the real problem

Only a few goals will be there on the list which you?truly want to achieve?– these need your?true commitment

The same challenge is faced by business leaders in the corporate world

I coach many C-suite leaders and most of them are over-busy, booked back-to-back in meetings all day

They have a long "to-do list”, but they are NOT committed to most of them

And when you have a long list of things to do, your time, focus and energy is dispersed, right ?

So then, how do you really go about it ?

Commitment can happen at 3 different levels, all equally powerful and impactful :

Level 1 - To Self

You commit to do something not for anyone else, but for YOURSELF

Let’s take a fitness goal e.g. running a marathon

Maybe it's something you always wanted to do and only you know how important it is for you

There are various ways to be fit, but if running a marathon means something to you,?you commit to it

I had never been a public speaker throughout my life

In 2019, at the age of 46, I decided that I want to be a public speaker

It was not something I had shared with my family or my friends.?It was a very personal mission for me

And I had all the typical fears and anxiety about public speaking, which you may also have

But I committed to it

I prepared. I practiced. I applied at various events

Over the course of the next 6 months, I gave 4 TEDx talks.?TED, as you know is the biggest platform to share path breaking ideas

And now I speak regularly at international conferences and corporate events globally

Level 2 - For Others

Sometimes, what you want to achieve will benefit people around you as well –?directly and indirectly.?Your family, friends, colleagues at work

Let’s take the same example of a fitness goal

When you create a healthy lifestyle, you are happier, more energetic, more passionate

People around you also benefit from this change –?better relationships, higher motivation and productivity

If you have kids, they may look up to you as a role model for leading a healthier lifestyle

That’s a commitment for the sake of others

I had never written in my life, but I knew that I had so much to share with the world

So towards the end of 2019, I started writing posts on Linkedin

In 2020, I committed to writing everyday – to share my experiences

That was my way to add value to my community.?No one had asked me to do so

And since then, for close to 2 years now, I have written. EVERY SINGLE DAY

In 2021, I created this weekly email newsletter ( “Riders on the storm” ) for my community. I created my own blog

And I committed to writing every week

Every week, I spend several hours creating this newsletter

That is my commitment to my community – to give as much value as I can

Level 3 - Commitment for a cause

This goes way beyond you. It is NOT about you anymore

Let’s take the same example of a fitness goal

Maybe you have seen someone close suffer because of an unhealthy lifestyle

Maybe you want to start a fitness movement within your community. You want more and more people to live a healthier life

Then that’s what you commit to – doing things to create a bigger and broader impact

I was part of a global coaching initiative this year, where we provided coaching support within our community

I personally committed to and provided around 50+ hours of pro-bono coaching to professionals across 3 continents this year

And I know that coaching has a broader impact - when clients makes a breakthrough, it positively impacts people around them as well

You see....

Each of these levels are equally powerful and impactful - you decide how you want to play

So what can you do differently in 2022 ?

Don’t make a long list of goals. Make a small list of commitments

And here is a single powerful reflection for you to start-off :

1) Pick up one specific area from your personal and professional lives respectively

2) Then think -?What is the one thing you can truly commit to achieving 2022 in those areas ?

Note your intent in this statement. "I commit to_______________"

Remember….

Commitment is like entering a one-way street. Once you enter, there’s no turning back

And once you commit, it changes everything

I would be interested to know what came up for you as you read and reflected on this email

Till then

Stay safe and stay healthy

Harsh

P.S. -?Here are some ways how I can help you in your transformation journey

1)?2022 Vision?- We are in the last month of 2021. This is a great time to pause and reflect. How 2021 went and what do you want in 2022 and beyond. If you are interested in creating a powerful vision for your future, drop me a message

2)?Reflective Leadership?– Last year, I created a resource "7 Reflective Questions Every Leader Should Ask". This was the most downloaded e-book from my website. Over the course of this year, I have expanded that list and added many more powerful questions in the latest edition of?"21?Powerful Questions Every Leader Should Reflect On"?. This can be used for self-reflection as well as for teams. If you need a copy of same, drop me an email

3) PLUS, whenever you are ready to step into your real power and go after what you truly want, you can book a short exploratory call here (Book Your Call)