Committed to your own success

Copyright (c) 2009 John Kenworthy

The journey to your own success requires commitment. The journey may be short or it may be long. But there are no short cuts, no quick and easy routes. Your determination will be tested, repeatedly.

Along your journey you will experience failure. You have to be able to pick yourself up and continue.

There are times when you have to stand alone. Other people will distrust you. They will challenge you. There are people in this world who will even try to get you to compromise your values or get you to change your success goal. They may not be doing so intentionally or they may be fearful that if you grow, they will be left behind.

You will face deep disappointment.There are going to be times when the promise was there, you were about to get hold of that deal that would tip you over the edge to success, or meet the right person. But it was just at the wrong time. It is easy to get depressed at such times, to become miserable with the cards you've been dealt.

A friend of mine used to be miserable and depressed, but now he's completely turned his life around and is depressed and miserable instead.

Others will resent your progress.Each step of progress you make is going to upset someone. We learn in physics that motion causes friction. Any progress you make towards your success is a movement, and you know that movement cause friction - causing some people you pass by to get hot under the collar.

One definition of commitment is "hard work and determination whatever the circumstances."

Ken Blanchard distinguishes between being interested in something and commitment to something:

"When you're interested in something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.

Staying on the road

If you've been on your own journey for any length of time, some if not all of this you know. Yet, there are many people who've achieved their success. And many who've achieved things far greater than you set out to achieve. So how do you achieve your success?

# First of all - you need to know what 'success' is for you. Whether you see 'success' as being your goal, or the journey towards a goal.

Now count the cost of your 'success'. All of it. The time, the effort, the mental anguish, the miserable days, the depressed days, the friends and enemies you accumulate on the way.

Determine to pay the price. The journey for any worthwhile goal is long, troublesome and difficult. It will not happen overnight. Silver bullet short cuts are a fantasy. Expect it to be difficult and you won't be surprised (except pleasantly). Face up to the fact that anything worth having is going to be a struggle.

Keep a good attitude. Yes the journey is tough. Yes, it's difficult. Yes you should have achieved it all so much more easily. Tough! Life is difficult! Now get back up on your feet, and smile at the world. I am not necessarily where I would like to be, but I'm glad that I am not where I was. I will cross my finish line and prevail.

Strive for excellence. A great craftsman invites you to inspect his work and admire the intricate details and want to explain in detail how it was done. A sloppy person, on the other hand, hides their work. Shoddy workers blame their tools, the materials or someone else.

You want to achieve your success. You know that you have talent and you know you have the skills. Do you have the commitment to keep on keeping on?

Talent alone is not enough. Talent is the gift God gave you. Skills are what you used yesterday.

Commitment is what you put in today to create your masterpiece and have success tomorrow.