To what great heights or deepest depths are you willing to go for the sake of accomplishing your goals?
How much “blood, sweat, and tears” are you willing to shed?
How much emotional pain are you willing to endure?
Without commitment none of the above is possible.
Definition of Commitment
noun: commitment
1.The state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.”the company’s commitment to quality”
A pledge or undertaking.
plural noun: commitments “I cannot make such a commitment at the moment”
2. An engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action.
“business commitments”
Let’s put these definitions together. When we are committed to something we are dedicated to a cause, activity, etc which restricts us from quitting in spite of challenges and the fears that come with them. We are restricted from giving up due to the commitment. Forward is the only direction we can go.
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What Does This Look Like?
Sit down around the campfire kids because I’ll tell you a story…
I have spent much of my working life in the construction industry. I am now in the professional development/consulting/coaching space but when I started my business 7 years ago I had to make a decision.
In what way can I provide for my wife and newborn son while at the same time entering an entirely new industry, learning it, learning how business works, weaning myself away from my day job, AND growing my business at the same time?
This was a monumental mountain I needed to climb and it required commitment. I didn’t care though because I had and still have a love and passion for it. It didn’t matter if it was Mount Everest. I was going to climb it!
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My First Lesson
To make a commitment is to make a firm and unbreakable decision.
I chose to continue working full-time while chipping away pebble by pebble like some kind of secret prison break you might see in the movies. And ever so slowly, every year, I made progress and gained momentum.
One of the quickest ways to find a lead is to ask people you know because you are never more than a few people away from a decision-maker.
That’s exactly what I did and fairly early into my business, I found myself with an appointment to speak with a CFO of a very large luxury hotel chain. I was about to learn a hard lesson that a CFO is the wrong person to be talking to about spending their money.
A Boiling Point
Now, picture this. It’s almost 7 years ago on a hot Florida day. It’s over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (over 38 degrees Celsius). The humidity is high. I am doing carpentry work on a house. There is a generator growling in the trailer that is attached to my truck. There are roofers installing shingles across the street with the consistent “pop pop pop” of nail guns. I have no shirt on because it’s too hot and I have jeans on because I forgot to wash my work shorts.
Why does this matter you ask? Because in order to drown out the noise around me, I have to sit in the sauna-like heat of my truck with the windows up and a broken air conditioner. I have to juggle the noise, heat, and my self-doubt while pretending to speak in an office with fancy mahogany furniture.
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Crash and Burn
This was my FIRST major sales call and it went about as expected. It was a complete failure. I didn’t even get close to getting a sale. “Blood sweat and tears” is an expression but I LITERALLY spent sweat as I baked in that truck for an hour. And I absolutely felt fear as I picked up the phone to make that call.
The truth is that we often have to fall down in order to go up. Failure is part of growth.
I made that effort because I was committed to my mission and I felt love and passion for making it happen no matter the obstacles. And really what was the worst that would happen? Maybe I get rejected and look stupid? Well, I did get rejected and I did at least feel stupid because the call didn’t go well.
However, I’m glad I did it. It made me stronger and prepared me for other barriers I needed to overcome. Quite frankly I’m a bit proud of my audacity. It was a victory in the sense that I faced my fear and I really did succeed in getting in front of an important executive.
Heat is a Purifier
In order to succeed in life and business we have to have emotional fortitude and a great way to grow that is to take action. Weigh the risks, accept the worst-case scenario, be willing to make changes, and charge forward.
I tell this story not because I think I’m special but rather because I want to encourage you. You have your own trial-by-fire stories. If you are currently in a scenario where you are thinking “What on EARTH am I doing!?!?” Don’t despair. You are more normal than you think and you will look back fondly with pride that you overcame it.
An Emotional Intelligence Specialist for seven years, native Floridian Adam Rosensweig is Chief Operating Officer of RR&D Inc. He is certified in, and responsible for administering/interpreting the EQ-i 2.0 and EQ 360.
Adam started RR&D in response to his wholehearted belief in, and support of, the Inglish Motivational Enhancement Method. After personally experiencing the program’s life-changing effects, he was moved to share this valuable knowledge with others. Adam works closely with Dr. Inglish, and values her as both co-worker and trusted friend.
Using emotional intelligence and motivational science, Adam and his team leverage their expertise to help individual and corporate clients reduce or eliminate internal barriers so they can be free to thrive.
Contact Information
(352) 572-0277
Header Image Credit: Mart Production. Find it here.
