Last week, I committed to publish a daily post for one week. It was both challenging and easy. It was difficult because writing in public was a new experience for me. I just realized it was also easy because of the 100% commitment principle.
It is easier to keep your commitments 100% of the time than to keep them 98% of the time. — Clayton Christensen
Commitments and principles are sometimes used interchangeably in this context. The ah-hah moment for me was that if I were 98% committed to writing, it meant I had not yet made the decision. I did not doubt my decision. As seen in an older entry, Post Everyday, it turned out to be a great decision. Therefore, I did not have to rely on willpower. Yes, committing 100% for a clear time frame, such as one year, made it much easier. It became a powerful encouragement.
If I were only 98% committed to writing daily, I would have had to ask myself, “Is it one of those days I’m just going to skip writing or miss it? What’s the point of publishing something if I do not have time to review it for quality? Will I become a joke?” That would have led to decision fatigue or declined willpower.
By committing 100 percent to something, your behavior becomes predictable. This works even for a short period of time. In fact, the short duration is an excellent way to simplify things: decide and commit, rinse and repeat.
Once I made a decision, I never thought about it again. — Michael Jordan
That’s such a powerful quote. That illustrates decision and commitment. That removes the burden on willpower and motivation.
Willpower is indecisive. What’s something today that you had to depend on willpower to get by? You can only have a limited willpower reserve. Use them sparingly.
One of my most significant growth in recent years was endurance fitness. I’m thankful and proud of my entrepreneurial and family journeys, but fitness has been one that I naturally had full ownership of. It built identity and character. No excuses. These days, I’m 100% committed to working out more than 10 hours a week. I exercise every day. No days pass by that make me consider that maybe today I should not work out. Sometimes, willpower still creeps in trying to knock on my fitness commitment, such as “I have too much work; should I work out in the afternoon instead?” or “I’m still sore from yesterday. Isn’t it better to have a rest day today?” Some commitments may be in conflict with each other, but with better awareness, I can string the commitments together to become a much better person.
As I write more nowadays, I keep a list of my commitments. Commitment is a favorite C word, but it is only one of my favorite 4 Cs. I’d love to explore the topic of Dan Sullivan’s 4C formula on another day:
- Commitment creates Courage.
- Courage creates Capability.
- Capability creates Confidence.
- Confidence creates Commitment
And that feedback loop continues. Apply, lather, rinse, repeat.
Next: Slow is the new fast?