Commitments

I’m big on commitments. It’s a basic of my value system. Some folks refer to it as personal integrity, others as a set of standards, sometimes it’s just a promise. Sometimes a commitment is a guiding force with global results.

When I think of commitments a number of items come to mind.

I’m committed to who I am. I have my own vision of myself. I learned a long time ago that sometimes who we believe ourselves to be someone who isn’t really who we are. We ask others to back it up I think we need to hold ourselves to the same standard. I think of myself as a neat, well organized person. I live up to that some days. Not everyday but the majority of the time I pick up after myself. I know where to find my things. I proceed with my life in an orderly manner. If something new shows up in my life, I put it on the list of like items, give it a home on the appropriate shelf or place it into the orderly systems I have created. I make sure my actions match my words. I don’t take myself at face value– I prove it to myself day in and day out by making decisions that support my vision of who I am.

I’m committed to my job. That means I want to do my job well. This allows me to understand it’s important that I continue to educate myself. I continue to chase knowledge, tools, resources and being an effective coach. This means I’m in classes most of the time. I consult with other professionals to make sure I’m adding value to what I might offer. It means I read. It means I refer clients at times to other professionals who are better suited for the job than I might be. It means the only agenda I adhere to is that of my clients and I don’t hold the belief that I have their answers. I am their partner in creating what they need, what they want, and pursuing their answers and solutions.

Commit to what you feel and believe in deeply and your commitments are easy to keep.

Commit to what you feel and believe in deeply and your commitments are easy to keep.

I’m committed to my relationships. It means I treat them with respect. I respect their time, efforts, feelings, needs and wants. I’m not impolite to them. I will shift my schedule to give them what they believe they need, when they need it. If it is related to their job, I will give way because their job is important to both of us. It means I won’t explain or defend when we disagree. It means I will step into their shoes and see their point of view from their point of view. I will allow it to be about them and make room for them. I won’t run over their needs and explain why they have to understand my circumstance. It means I am consistent with them. I consider them, make decisions with them in mind, and their well being is important to me. I show it with my actions, not expecting them to believe words only. It means I’m not allowed to behave badly or have a crisis of faith in myself. They rely on me and therefore I need to step up. I show up for my relationships. If they need, I do what is hard to do when it’s hard to do. I make sure they know I’m going to be here. They can trust me. I apologize when needed without ego or anger and I do what I say I will do. I am trustworthy. These are some of my commitments within my relationships.

I’m committed to doing my best. Some days I make a mess of it. Some days I create great goodness. I’m committed to that being just how things are and doing my best to accept the mess as something temporary and useful.

My commitments serve as a guideline for decision-making. I don’t get to believe I am who I am without backing it up daily with each decision I make. That’s a great recipe for having a good self-opinion and keeping the good opinion of others.

My commitments outline what is really important to me. It’s not just about what I should do or what others think I should do. My decisions reflect cleanly what is important to me and remind me of the course I organically need to pursue to realize those ideas and notions.

My commitments offer me a solid line in the sand which provides security, safety and a clear future course. These are basics of living happily.

My commitments and willingness to realize them through action defines who I am, what I will achieve, how secure others will feel with me, and how I perceive myself. My follow through with these commitments allows me to trust myself and for others to deem me trustworthy.

Someone once said that if you do what you say you’re going to do you hold the keys to success. They didn’t limit that endeavor to business or your personal life. Just success. Now that’s a commitment worth keeping.

Copyright 2011