So you've landed on a goal for yourself, something has caught your eye and you've thought "That would be nice to have!" You realize you need to think about how to get this attractive thing, so you develop some kind of a plan to get you there. Why is it that, usually sooner than later, you have wandered off track, your plan has fallen by the wayside and you aren't much closer to your goal than when you started?

Commitment and Decisions - The Keys to Actually Getting Things Done
By Robert E. Cox

So you've landed on a goal for yourself, something has caught your eye and you've thought "That would be nice to have!" You realize you need to think about how to get this attractive thing, so you develop some kind of a plan to get you there. Why is it that, usually sooner than later, you have wandered off track, your plan has fallen by the wayside and you aren't much closer to your goal than when you started.

Often we're told that it's lack of "will power" or "poor motivation" or "lack of focus". These are all things that sound like some sort of vague weakness on our part. I'd like to suggest that frequently the culprit is the failure to actually make a totally firm decision at the time we set our goal, and failing to totally commit to make that decision a reality.

What happens all too often is that we "sort of" think we'd like something in our lives. "That would be nice" we say. This is not a mindset that will power us to our goals. We need to actually decide that WE WILL HAVE (fill in the blank) in our lives. It's not open to question or up for grabs! We need to tell ourselves" I'm going to get this and that's the way it will be-period." What will sabotage our achievement of this goal is wavering, second-guessing and constantly trying to re-decide if this is what we really want. That kind of thinking does not represent the results of a firm initial decision. It lacks clarity and will not give us the power we need to carry through our plans to their conclusion. We need to make our initial decision so firmly that there is never a question of "re-deciding" or wavering or looking down every side road that comes along. If we can't make a truly firm decision up front, perhaps we should consider dropping this goal, at least until we are ready to make a strong, permanent decision.

This brings us to commitment. A commitment has been defined as a promise you make to yourself. How do you feel about people keeping their promises? When you tell your friend or partner that you will do something, can they rely on you to be sure that it gets done? Is keeping your word an important part of who you are?

If so, let me ask you: "Why don't you keep your promises to yourself?" Are you less important than the other people in your life? Does your welfare and satisfaction matter less than everyone else's? Do you care less about yourself than a casual acquaintance?

I'm sure you get the point. So next time your looking at setting a goal and making a plan to get there, try this: ask yourself if you are willing to make a 100% final decision upfront that this goal will be achieved in your life-no second guessing. Then make whatever commitments you need to make to insure that it's going to happen. That is to say: promise yourself that you will actually do the necessary things to get to your goal-no wobbling, no maybes, just a real promise that you know you can keep.

See if this doesn't lead to some real progress toward the things you decide you truly want in your life. The power of real decision and commitment is awesome!

If you'd like more information or help with decisions and commitments in your life or with carrying through your plans, visit http://www.makeitreal.info Bob Cox is a personal life coach who can help you find what you want in these and many other areas of your life. Just for fun, play the coaching game at makeitreal.info

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