• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Self Help Daily

Inspirational and Self Help Blog with a Save the World Complex...

  • Home
    • Tour Self Help Daily
    • Self Help Daily’s Archives
    • Privacy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Contact
  • Inspirational Quotes
  • Self Help
    • Positive Thought
    • Health
    • Mental Fitness
    • Relationships
    • Self Growth
    • How to Be Happy
  • Book Reviews
You are here: Home / Self Help / Self Improvement / Commit, Dang it, Commit!

Commit, Dang it, Commit!

September 14, 2011 by Joi 2 Comments

Book links are usually affiliate links. This means I earn a small percentage when you click through and buy the book. This costs you nothing extra - it simply allows me to keep my cats in the lifestyle they're accustomed to.

Commitment

“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” – Unknown

In times of need, I’ve been known to speak to myself. Most of the time, the words from me to me are silent, taking place only inside my head. However, I have had a few times (usually behind the wheel of a vehicle) when the words come fast, furious, and audible. Just yesterday, I was half paying attention when a car swerved over into my lane. At the last possible second, I swerved out of their way. “Would you pay attention to what you’re doing? Is that asking too much?!” came angrily out of my mouth and it wasn’t toward the reckless man in a {insert any name of any vehicle and we’ll pretend I can actually identify anything outside of a Dodge Caravan}. I pinned my own ears back because my mind was in the future… playing baseball.

I’m trying to make the playoffs after all and I’m running out of time.

I gave myself another scolding recently and it’s kind of stayed with me. I wounded my pride I suppose, but it has given me something to think about. I was in the middle of re-designing one of my websites. A particular element I was working on should have been a 10 minute (20 at the most) task. An hour later, I’d had enough. I realized that my brain (probably on the diamond again – it’s obvious that diamonds are this girl’s friend!) was wavering.

I couldn’t make up my mind about something and, literally, went back and forth about a dozen times. To make matters worse, it was a minor detail. Less than minor! Have you ever become irritated with yourself? I was so irritated with me at that moment I could have called myself a dozen names. Since I cry easily, I held back. I just went with, “Commit, dang it, commit!”

Exact words.

Being all about self improvement and self growth, I started thinking about the words COMMIT and COMMITMENT… after I committed to the design element and put it in place. I was afraid that the next outburst would upgrade from Dang it and I didn’t want to hear what it might be. My cat was in the room after all.

My situation was a very minor one. Truth be told, I’m sure I looked almost comical sitting there switching back and forth with my coding – Refresh, look, go back, Refresh, look, go back. Silly Nilly.

However, commitment is serious business and a lack of it can lead to just about every conceivable ill.

  • Divorce rates are sky high because people seem incapable to committing to a relationship.  The words “For better or worse” seem as disposable as paper towels.
  • Obesity (adults and children) has become a grave concern in our country.  People begin diets or exercise routines but don’t follow through.  They fail to commit.
  • Individuals go into business for themselves with high hopes and beautiful dreams but when the going gets tough, they cave in.  They realize that commitment isn’t always easy. It never claimed to be.
  • People drop out of college, and often even high school, because they refuse to commit to their studies.
  • Health problems escalate because individuals won’t commit to a healthy lifestyle and diet.

Commitment may take you out of your comfort zone, but isn’t that where growth and change happen?  We don’t become all that we can become by remaining all that we are.

I see a lack of commitment in the areas of mental fitness and brain health as well.  Someone will read an article about the importance of staying mentally active.  The light bulb will come on for them and they’ll vow to read more educational books, do more crossword puzzles, and get more activity.  And God love them, they’ll do so, too!

For about a week.

Those of us who write a lot of self help articles and/or are obsessed with inspirational quotes will throw around a lot of great, juicy buzz words.  Ability, Action, Determination, Perseverance, and Gambaru…. they’re a few of my own favorites.  Then there’s commitment.  Good old, unassuming, humble, simplistic, nuts and bolts commitment.

My husband and I were watching baseball a few nights ago (I swear we do more than just watch baseball.  Geez, we watch college basketball and football too.).  He pointed out one of our best slugger’s swing.  He hasn’t been hitting like his old self for a while and my keen-eyed hubby pointed out the young man’s “follow through.”  It was non-existent.  As soon as the ball came near him and his once mighty bat, he gritted his teeth and began his swing like a baseball beast!

Then?  Then?!

Then… nothing.  Instead of COMMITTING to the FOLLOW THROUGH, his swing more or less wimped out. Strike three and he’s out.

If there’s an area in your life where progress isn’t happening at the rate you’d like, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Am I committed to making this change? (if you answer yes, tell yourself to prove it!)
  • What is my follow through? Am I swinging through the ball or wimping out?
  • What could I be doing differently to effect the sort of swing through to reach the fences?!

Whether it’s work-related, health-related, relationship-related, or something else, commitment may need to be your new buzz word. When you feel yourself slacking off, force yourself to refocus by saying, “Commit!” You could also write the words COMMIT TO IT! on an index card or piece of paper – put where you’ll see it throughout the day.

I’m off to my bedroom for 30 minutes of yoga with my cat. I’m committing to getting back the yoga form I had in my twenties.  Better make it 60 minutes….

The motivational print at the top of the post says, “Determination is often the first chapter in the book of excellence.”

Filed Under: Self Improvement Tagged With: commitment, quote about commitment, self growth

Previous Post: « David Letterman’s Thoughts About September 11
Next Post: Possibly the Best Quote EVER About a Sense of Humor »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Grady Pruitt says

    September 14, 2011 at 11:38 am

    During NaNoWriMo, I’m always telling people that the FIRST step is to truly commit. Those who truly commit will find a way to reach the 50,000 word goal in 30 days. Those who don’t usually find some excuse to quit.

    Thanks for sharing!

  2. Kyle Beck says

    September 15, 2011 at 7:56 am

    This is the toughest challenge facing most spiritual workers, including myself. We all recognize it isn’t easy to initiate change, but once we start it becomes easier…for a while. Yet after a short period of time, the inspiration dries up and we begin to question are motives in the first place.

    But this is the key moment of change: realizing you’re on the brink of going back to old ways and choosing to push on anyways.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Self Help Blog

Cat on Pine Mountain , Kentucky

Welcome to Self Help Daily, a blog devoted to helping you get the most from life by getting the most from yourself!

Read the story behind the picture above in How to Live in the Moment.

Positive Affirmation Cards


Positive Affirmation Cards (Amazon)

Contact Joi

My name is Joi (“Joy”)! I am the animal lover behind Self Help Daily.

To contact me, please do so through e-mail (joitsigers @ gmail.com). Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you! ~ Joi

Self Help Blog Updates

  • Five Ways That You May Be Affecting Your Brain Health Without Realizing It
  • Create a Zen Room in Your Home (Perfect for Creating a Home Sweet Haven)
  • Quick Thought About Interests… Basically, the More You Have, the Better!
  • How Podcasts Grew to Be Full of Information on Motivation
  • 4 Ways You Can Try To Quit Smoking
  • Simple Ways To Make Your Working Life Easier And Less Stressful
  • Exercise Options That Will Improve Your Physical and Mental Health
  • How to Look and Feel Your Best Everyday

Featured Quote Graphics

Don't Quit Quote Graphic

Dr. Seuss Quote About Being Who You Are

Booker T. Washington Quote About Hate

Wayne Dyer Quote About Karma

Quote About Habits

Footer

Inspirational Quotes

  • Abraham Lincoln Quotes
  • Billy Graham Quotes
  • Booker T. Washington Quotes
  • Dale Carnegie Quotes
  • Maya Angelou Quotes
  • Mark Twain Quotes
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes
  • Norman Vincent Peale Quotes

More Inspirational Quotes

❖ Self Help Daily Updates



Overcoming Empty Nest Syndrome

One of the questions I hear the most from my readers is, "How can I cope with empty nest syndrome?" I'll try to deal with this sensitive subject as often as possible. If you have any suggestions, I hope you'll contribute to the conversations!

  • Coping With Empty Nest Syndrome
  • Don't Just Cope in an Empty Nest, Thrive!
  • How to Be Happy in an Empty Nest
  • Overcoming Empty Nest Syndrome
Copyright Self Help Daily 2021