I want you to COMMIT

We’re over a week into 2017, how are we all doing on our New Year’s Resolutions? For me, I’ve meditated 7 out of the 8 days in 2017. I tell ya, that one day is going to haunt me as I round out 2017 with 364 days of meditation, but whatever. It’s not about beating ourselves up over our mistakes, it’s about resolving to do better, and doing so. Then taking pride in our victories.

Really, I don’t care what your specific resolutions are for this year. What I really want out of you is COMMITMENT. Are you committed to what you do? If you are, I want to SEE it. I want to FEEL it. I want to enjoy the side effects of it radiating off of you.

If you are not… why  not?

I went to an improv comedy club the other day. And those actors were onstage to entertain us, having no idea what they would say or do, because it was all on the spot. Those actors had to COMMIT to what they were doing. If they were in a skit, they were IN the skit. If they were using a voice, that WAS their voice. If they were wearing a persona, that was THEM. Anything less and they would fall out, leading to THE END.  They had to commit to this crazy fictional story, or this skit of gibberish or this nonsensical rap because anything less and they would inevitably falter and putter in front of a live audience.

Sometimes I think we are stuck in the limbo between giving up, and fully commiting. To give up for the actors would be to decline to participate. To be commited was to say crazy stuff and cause laughter in the audience. To be on the fence, though, would be them questioning, mid-sentence, their actions. It would be getting stage fright by allowing the fears of “What if I’m not funny?” or “What if the audience doesn’t get this joke?” or “What if I don’t know what to say?” to cause their minds to go blank and their insecurites to rear. I can say this from experience. I was in an improv group and I quit.  I was not commited.  I would find myself in the limbo while practicing, and the failures of not performing only drove the insecurities higher. Because I didn’t commit, I didn’t succeed and I quit.

Commiting would have been throwing caution to the wind, and knowing I was okay even if I did something stupid, which inevitably, would have made that outcome less likely.

Committing is being Wile E Coyote and NOT stopping to look down below.

Committing is being the one, not with the most talent, but who’s giving it all he’s got, and when that’s gone finds more.

Committing is deciding to throw your whole heart into your endeavor and not tolerating the thought that your goal is unreachable.

Committing is putting all of your eggs in one basket because that basket is the best and you believe in it.

Be commited to your product. Be commited to your service. Be commited to your company. This will show through in your marketing. This is what will bring you success. We want to see and emulate the people who are in love with what they do. We want to buy from the people who are so passionate about what they have to sell that it’s infectious. We want what you’re on.

When we see that you are wishy-washy about your ‘thing’ we are not as inspired to drink your Kool-Aid. If we get the impression that you don’t really care about your profession, or are unsure of your offering’s true value, we won’t buy it.

This year, choose to be COMMITTED to yourself. If you cannot choose to be committed, then quit, or figure out how to choose.  We make no progress sitting on the fence. Pick your side and walk it.

It doesn’t matter which platform for social media you choose to be on. Just pick one, and COMMIT to it. The Jack of all trades is the master of none. When you feel like you  have reached your limit with your chosen platform, THEN start adding to your platform portfolio.

Do your videos, but really DO your videos. Be all in. No second guessing. Once the decision is made, do it. Once the video is filmed, post it.

Confidence. Conviction. and Commitment. This is what I want from you  in 2017.

Will you Commit?