Committed people

"1. Committed people are generally happy.  I have never met an unhappy Fred.  I've met some who felt under-appreciated, taken for granted, or frustrated, but it strikes me that overall, people who embrace these ideas and do business the Fred the Postman are a happy group of people. 

"...Not everything we must do each day--at home or at work--makes us happy.  In those cases we need to remember that how we choose to do anything has a significant influence on the emotions we experience.   Doing an unpleasant task cheerfully trumps doing a pleasant  task begrudgingly.

"2. Committed people are clear about what they do and why they do it.  A. W. Tozer said, 'It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it.'  In other motives matter.

"What you do to make a difference is important, but so is the reason you do it.  You can do the right things for the wrong reasons (which is usually preferable to doing the wrong things for the right reasons).

"It's true that providing great value as an individual or an organization often results in great benefits to the provider.  But even if it doesn't, the reward is in the doing.  Author Tim Ferriss calls this the power of process over outcome.  If you set out to do something for benefit or a payoff that doesn't happen, you feel like you've wasted your time, and you're disappointed if you don't get it.

"However, if you set out to do something because you'll enjoy doing it regardless of the outcome, then any kind of tangible reward is icing on the cake.  The process itself is the reward. 

"3. Committed people have goals.  A commitment without a goal is like a trip without a nap: odds are you won't get to where you want to be. 

"A distinction of commitment is the desire to make a mark in life--not just any mark, but an extraordinary, positive mark.  Knowing the kind of difference you hope in make greatly increases the likelihood of success.

"...Set a goal to add value, enrich a relationship, or make a difference in your work, your home, or your community in the next two weeks.  Write it down--no excuses.  I have learned that if you aren't willing to take the time to write something down, odds are you won't be willing to make the time to do it.

"Here's a two-way test: if you are truly committed, you'll bring enthusiasm and positive expectancy to what you do beyond what is expected.  The second part of the text is that when it comes time to act, you will follow though, regardless of your feelings.  If you don't, you make not be as committed as you thought you were.

"The goals you achieve prove and bolster the commitment you've made. Be definitive in what you're going to commit to in order to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

"When you take the step from merely involved to being truly committed, everyone benefits--your company, your family, and especially you.   As Vince Lombardi said, "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." - Mark Sanborn in Fred 2.0

When we set goals, written goals, then there can be motivation to take a step to go in that direction.  Just hoping something will happen will not normally get up there.

Renee Madison, MA, LPC, CSAT is a counselor in Colorado.  She can be reached for appointments at 303-257-7623 or 970-324-6928