Get the Results You Want: Persistence & Commitment

What results are you committed to in your life?

The results you've got today are a reflection of what you've been committed to in the past -- they reflect the personal persistence and commitment you've demonstrated through your past decisions, choices and actions.

The first time I heard someone tell me this, I rejected the suggestion outright. I hadn't chosen the results in my life that I dislike -- and I certainly didn't feel committed to negative results. Why would someone suggest such a thing?

And yet now, I've come to understand that this is precisely true.

That's not to say I wanted the results ... I clearly didn't. But there's no disputing the results come to me as a direct result of the decisions I chose to make (or not make), the choices I made about where and how to spend my time, and the actions I took along the way.

And this is true for you and your results as well.

This is a key tenet of the concept of personal responsibility. And it's at times a bitter pill to swallow.

And yet the solution is readily apparent. If the results I have today reflect the decisions, choices and actions I've made in the past, then the results I get in future will be determined by the decisions, choices and actions I take in the present.

So right now, based on where I'm at, what is it I want that's most important to me? What is it I'm committed to? What outcomes are reflective of the life of inspired abundance I truly desire?

Tomorrow's results are determined by today's choices

And how, from this moment forward, do I choose to operate differently than I have in the past? Because I know that in order to get a different outcome, I must make different decisions, better choices, and take different actions than I have in the past.

By now I'm sure you've come to realize, as have I, that the degree of persistence you bring to the party is reflective of your level of commitment.

If what I say I want is to lose weight, but I opt for 2 scoops of ice cream after dinner, how committed am I to the outcome? Apparently not very ...

And if I don't immediately see the results I want, do I choose to quit? If I quit and choose not to persist, then how committed am I to the outcome? Not committed enough.

Every day, we all get the opportunity to examine the results we're getting, take personal responsibility for them by acknowledging we took certain decisions, choices and actions which led to them, and then take stock and make the conscious choice to commit to something different.

And if you operate throughout your day within the context of understanding that it's the decisions, choices, and actions you take today that demonstrate the results you're committed to and want for tomorrow, then more often than not you'll find yourself getting more of the results you want over time.

So, with all that being said, what results are you committed to today? Are the choices, decisions, and actions you're taking reflective of that?

Power of Team and Teamwork

The power of team is an astonishing concept.

Team work in any endeavor is paramount to success. Together, with focus on a common goal, we get to leverage each others energies, skills and creativity to accomplish amazing things. And there's an enhanced level of excitement when you get to celebrate your victories together.

If you're like me, you already know this intuitively, but find there are times where you insist on being the lone wolf. And rarely is that inclination going to be for your highest good.

But enough rhetoric about team work and the power of team. Sometimes pictures say everything ... even a short 24 second video.

So who's on your team?

What Do You Really Want: How To Persist

What do you really want that's important to you and how effectively will you persist, without exception on your path towards it?

After watching yesterday's video on persistence and perseverance, it caused me to realize how often I say I'm persisting in particular aspects of my life, but in reality -- if I examine it closely -- that's simply not true.

More typically, I will persist for a while until I'm uncomfortable, but then quit because I don't like the stretch.

I throw down the shirt in disgust and walk away.

Which I suppose ultimately means it's just not that important to me. Or, more accurately, I've failed to remind myself why it's important ot me.

Be remembering what it is I really want that's most important to me, I'm going to become much more able to persist through the tough spots. I will be more prepared to persist without exception.

Let's say I'm unhappy with my weight.

I want to lose 10 pounds so I begin a daily workout regimen. But after a few days, I feel tired and would rather not work out. So I skip the session. Which makes it easier to skip the next one. Pretty soon, I've abandoned my workout regimen altogether. And then I say I can't lose weight.

Well, at the point I am feeling too tired and don't feel like working out, what is it I really want?

Is it to skip the workout? Or maybe it's to find some energy to allow me to work out. What was it that led me to start the workout regimen in the first place? Oh yeah ... I want to lose 10 pounds. If that's still what I want that's most important to me, then what might I rather want right now. Is it to skip the workout or perhaps it's to do something that motivates me and gives me the energy to work out? Hmm ... given that, what do I want to do next ...

Perhaps I have the impulse to want to feel better, so I reach for the ice cream in the freezer. That will make me feel better ... oh, but what about the 10 pounds? What is it I really want that's important to me? Is it to lose the 10 pounds or is it to feel better right now in this moment?

And if it is to feel better right now in this moment, does it mean it has to be with the ice cream? What else might make me feel better that isn't going to conflict with what I really want, which is to lose the 10 pounds?

As I'm considering or about to make a choice or decision, when I take the time to pause and remind myself what it is I really want, it gives me the perspective to assess my choice. And in doing that, I'm more often than not going to make a better choice that allows me to persist with whatever it is I've chosen to take on.

I remember what I want, which makes it easier for me to persist.