Commitment (& Talent)

You are committed. We are committed. We are mostly committed. I think we are committed. Are we committed? What is commitment, really?

Commitment, a quality of dedication and faithfulness toward a chosen course is quite important when you desire to achieve anything. It is not something you can do without if at all success in your endeavour is to be guaranteed. This quality is not inborn. It is learned. Anyone can build it up. Like time, we all have an equal chance of taking advantage of it. Still, not everyone identifies with this fact.

Circumstances and environmental factors have a part to play in boosting or discouraging the improvement of this quality while at the same time setting precedence for its foundation. Yet, neither situations can utterly hinder its cultivation. Commitmetn can be developed by anyone in whatever situation.

A bizarre characteristic that this commitment exudes is its blazing exposure when things are tough other than when they are running smoothly. The moment plans go haywire, your commitment is proven. The more your desired intentions seem difficult to actualize, the more solid your commitment is if you retain your pursuit.

Accompanying commitment is hard work, which cannot be overlooked. You have to push yourself beyond your conventional limits. Effort is essential. Hard work is invested. Whether you feel like it or not. Including days you do not foresee immediate reward. When your fans give up on patting your back, you keep pushing forward.

Every so often, your wish is far off and every other contributory factor shows you the exit door; those close to you acknowledge that the end has come – since (according to them), you have already done more or better than most. Oh, how easy it gets to drop by the wayside when everyone and everything around you speaks in the same voice; “you’ve done your best – you can let go now.” One might make peace with the reality of ceding. But that should not be the case. Commitment isn’t thoroughly grasped until the usual ideal conditions are scrapped off and, in their place, unfavorable ones are set. Then and only then can one be confident in their commitment.

It calls for true determination on what you really are after. How much it means to you. Otherwise, you will end up accepting alternative trophies (sideway gifts – the benefits that comes from pursuing something and not the goal of the pursuit). What will it be? Will you commit to the end, or will you accept anything in between? Normally, one could give up on their dream by accepting the ‘good enough’. I call it the “good enough syndrome”. This is as much a threat to commitment as anything else. A ‘Good enough syndrome’ causes you to pick up the ‘good’ instead of keeping you on track to reach the ‘best’.

In such a case, you no longer pursue your original goal, instead, you settle for what you already have. While at it, you engage stagnation buddies namely, comfort and complacency. Many have fallen for this trap. As much as it is ‘good enough’, it is not the ‘best’ you could have achieved. Sooner or later, you will not have maximized your potential. Thanks to this, you can never know how far you could have gone.

Consequences born from lack of commitment are not restricted to poor performance and a broken trust only, it also impacts your reputation, credibility, and opportunities. The same goes for jobs, professions, teams, and relationships. The best others can do is include you in trivial stuff or just avoid you altogether.

Another important attribute that commitment exhibits is the fact that it is a choice you make. You make a conscious choice to do something. It is not dependent on emotions and will not be sustained by them. Instead, to hold up commitment we need to link it to our values. Otherwise, it will not resonate with your belief system making it an impossible feat -trying to achieve something you do not believe in. Good luck with that! When linked to your preferred value system, you will get a morale boost from which you keep going as long as you’re still on track with your cherished values. These values will become the rich soil from which commitment sprouts.

On the other hand, talent is inborn that is, gained from birth. A natural ability. A propensity toward something that you can do better than others. It could be a skill you naturally ease into with extraordinary excellence like singing, and dancing, among many others.

Unlike commitment, talent does not come equally to each of us. People have different talents. There are no perfect conditions (without any interference) that allow for a model comparison between two individuals having the same talents. Factors near and wide play a critical role in shaping how talents grow and mature.

Notwithstanding, like commitment, talent can be developed. The inverse is true. Without intentional training, coaching, and focus, it will deteriorate. With enough time – in the same state- it ceases to be noticeable as once potent.

When relied upon by itself, it can only get you so far. The chances of reaching a plateau phase and stagnating there are beyond stating.

Commitment is in no way linked to your talent. You do not have to be committed to have a talent. Similarly, dear reader, having a talent does not prove your commitment.

Some so many people are talented but not committed and a rivaling number of committed people have nothing in related talent.
These are separate entities altogether. Yet, when you combine your talent with commitment. You amass great power. You get a great leap. If there exists a sure way to succeed in any endeavor and do it while enjoying the journey, you just found it!

Will it be easy just because you have married the two qualities?  Of course not! But it will be far easier and lighter than when you are working with either of them (separately).

What is your talent? Can you sing? Write? Speak?

Whatever it is, recognize it. Develop it. Merge it with commitment and see yourself soar. You are well able to do it.

Do you feel like you have none? What do you like doing? What do you enjoy the most? Is there something that you delight in doing even if you will not be paid for it? Is there a skill that you desire to learn?

Commit yourself to developing that skill. You are well able to. Get started. Commit. Sustain it with your values. Lift. See you at the top.