This is the fifth in our series of articles about The 8 Keys of Excellence, which serve as a foundation for our leading residential teen summer camp, SuperCamp. See our Intro article as well as links to previous Key articles here: The 8 Keys of Excellence: Principles to Live By.
Make your dreams happen! Take positive action and follow your vision without wavering.
Follow your vision without wavering. If you are willing to do whatever it takes, you can change your life—and literally change the world!
Anyone who has ever succeeded at something difficult did so by being completely committed to their goal. Commitment is the magical moment of making a decision, jumping in, and going forward with gusto. It’s the moment when all hesitation and ineffectiveness are left behind. The decisive act of making a commitment sets into motion an energy field of action to propel you forward.
Where does your commitment lie! What excites you and spurs you to action? What makes you feel happy and fulfilled?
What fires you up?
To harness the power of commitment, think about what you love passionately enough to give it all you’ve got—then give it. Commitment can spring from anything that inspires strong feelings. It can be motivated by something you just love to do, a deeply felt aspiration, a strongly held principle, or the desire to make a difference in people’s lives.
If you’re not sure right now what it is that drives you, give it some thought. Really dig deep, think long and hard, and be honest with yourself about what makes you tick. What really makes you feel happy, effective, and fulfilled? What is something you love doing whenever you get the chance? What excites you? What motivates you? It doesn’t matter what it is, how big or small, just find it. Once you’ve defined it, find a way to bring more of it into your life—and commit to whatever that might take. Even if it seems out of reach, don’t let it go. If you fully commit to it, it will become part of you life.
Whatever it is that inspires you, give yourself permission to lose yourself utterly in what you love and you’ll have no choice but to commit. Once you’ve made the decision to follow your passion no matter what, your commitment carries you forward. It’s the no matter what part that holds all the power. You’re locked into staying the course. You may feel discouraged, even hopeless, at times. You may even occasionally lose confidence in yourself. It doesn’t matter. None of it matters. With commitment you’ll go on trying no matter what—and no matter what it is that’s holding you back, you will turn it around and move forward.
Simply let your passion take over and you will harness the exceptional strength of commitment.
“I’ll try” won’t work
One thing to remember here is that I’ll try doesn’t work! You may get up enough courage to go for it, but you haven’t really made a commitment if you tell yourself I’ll try. You’re not committed to doing whatever it takes to succeed. In fact, you’ve given yourself an out. Now when you fall short of the mark, you can say Well, I tried. When you’re not committed enough to say I’ll do it instead of I’ll try, you leave a crack open for hesitation. Hesitation leaks energy—and energy leaks reduce your chances of success.
Commitment is all about that moment when there’s no hesitation, no slowing down, no giving up—the magic that results when you’re truly committed. It’s a mindset where there are no other options. There are no more debates, no mind-games, no procrastination. There is only action, single-minded, focused, and pure—to achieve that goal.
Passion, focus, power, fulfillment, and joy
Committed people are driven by their dreams because they’re passionate about them. They hold on to their intention to make them happen no matter what challenges they face—giving up is never an option. Their commitment creates a mass of energy that propels them forward.
To the uncommitted, the committed sometimes appear to be strangely fortunate. Happy circumstances just seem to land in their laps. They seem to meet the people they need to know and find the opportunities they need to pursue. They see solutions where others only see obstacles. But the committed will tell you it’s not because they’re lucky, it’s not because people treat them differently than the non-committed—it’s because they never stop looking for a way to make their dreams happen. They’re inspired, they’re focused, and they’re tenacious.
These are the primary characteristics of committed people. When you realize that every dream worth pursuing involves challenges, you discover that commitment is an absolute necessity. It makes it easy to overcome all challenges and continue your forward movement, making progress and crushing goals. Commitment wields a mighty power and brings with it an incredible feeling of fulfillment and intense joy every step along the way.
Think in ink
It’s always easier to let the wind blow you whichever way it happens to be going. But what distinguishes the drifters from the swimmers is the desire and the commitment to get where you want to go! Your commitment keeps you moving in your chosen direction, even if it’s against the wind or through the waves.
Commitment is not dangling one foot over the edge. There’s no impact in hesitation. You need to jump. Like the skydiver who jumps out of the plane, you’re not truly committed until you jump! Commitment is about deciding you will achieve something, then doing everything in your power to make it happen.
Consider now how commitment shows up in your life and write your thoughts about the following questions.
- What was a time that I was truly committed to something?
- What positive results came from my commitment? Did I achieve my goal?
- What about smaller commitments to friends or family. When did I break a commitment to someone? What message do I send to people when I break a commitment?
- Why is commitment important in my life?
- What is a passion or dream I have that fires me up?
- What steps have I taken toward achieving my dream?
- Has my enthusiasm or focus weakened? What has caused me to hesitate?
- Am I really committed to this dream, or is there something else that I’m more passionate about?
- What are some steps—small or big—that I am willing to commit to now to achieve my dream?
- What can I do every day to stay inspired and focused and make my dreams happen?
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“There’s always a way—if you’re committed.”
—Tony Robbins
About the Author: Bobbi DePorter is co-founder and president of Quantum Learning Network (QLN). An early pioneer in the field of accelerated learning, Bobbi’s study and application in the field led to the development of Quantum Learning teaching and learning methods that have inspired and empowered both educators and students for more than 40 years. QLN has two divisions.
SuperCamp is a leadership, learning and life skills residential program for teens that has offered sessions in the U.S. and internationally. SuperCamp has more than 85,000 alumni around the world, many now parents who have sent their children for a similar experience. The Quantum Learning Education division provides programs for teachers, administrators, students and parents in thousands of schools and districts in the U.S., as well as internationally. These programs and the 8 Keys of Excellence character education program have touched millions of young people in the U.S. and overseas. Read More…
Learn more about Quantum Learning Network’s SuperCamp, Quantum Learning Education, and virtual
programs HERE. www.QLUniverse.com