If I were ever to get a tattoo, I would get one roughly based on the Clayton M. Christensen quote, “It’s easier to hold your principles 100 percent of the time than it is to hold them 98 percent of the time.” Actually, mine would be more like: “100% committed is easy, 99% is a bitch!”
Think about it, this quote holds so much truth! When you are 100% committed to something, it’s effortless. There’s never a question of whether or not you will do it. But, if you’re partially committed, you spend all of this extra brainpower and effort debating on whether or not you should work towards the goal that day, how much time you should spend on it, if it really matters and so on. It’s exhausting!
When you’re all in, there’s no negotiating with yourself.
With this being said, it’s impossible to be 100% committed to all of your dreams, goals, and aspirations. It’s also near impossible to be 100% committed to something overnight. When I first became a vegetarian, I wasn’t all in. Give me a happy hour special of fried calamari, and the negotiating would ensue (and end with me downing the calamari)! But, over time, things changed. My priorities shifted. Eventually, vegetarianism became a non-negotiable and it wasn’t even a thought. But, what got me there?
Whether you want to make a change, introduce a new habit, or lose a bad one, here are three suggestions on how to get from being 99% committed to 100%:
- Find your WHY
To be 100% committed to something, you have to have a WHY. Each year, I go on total sugar detox for a specified amount of time. Whenever I commit to this goal, I always find that I sleep more soundly, and I eat healthier. So, before I decide to go on a detox, I make sure to start by writing down my reasons. It gives me focus and a good understanding of why I want to achieve my goal.
- Have substitutes
Once you know why you are 100% committing to a new goal, come up with some creative substitutes that will keep you from feeling like you are missing out. With my sugar detox, I always make sure that if I am out with friends, I can still enjoy no-sugar, nonalcoholic drinks!
- Meditate and/or Visualize
Take time to see what you want to become! Meditation and visualization have a profound effect on your ability to commit to your goals. There’s just something about having a vision, even if it is far into the future!
When we are 99% committed to something, we have to work too hard. We are constantly setting these goals and aspirations, all to spend the majority of our time negotiating with ourselves. As I said before, even though it is impossible to 100% commit to everything you want to accomplish, it’s important that we take the time to pick what matters most to us and pursue those goals and aspirations with 100% commitment. If you’d like to hear more on the topic of commitment, be sure to listen to the Fit is Freedom Podcast, episode 7! In this episode, I discuss these tips and much more!