Belief and Commitment

The entire concept of pursuing goals is about getting results that we want. It’s pretty straightforward. We want to accomplish something that will be pleasant and rewarding for us, and we set about making it happen. Nothing could be more simple or natural. Or so it would seem.

Most worthwhile goals require us to overcome obstacles in order to achieve them, but that is to be expected; our commitment to achieve the goal should be the powerful incentive to work through all obstacles and get the result we want.

Yet, too many people struggle and fail to achieve their goals because of the obstacles. More precisely, they fail to achieve because of their attitudes and beliefs about themselves and the challenges, and sometimes about the goals themselves.

Two consistent sabotages that thwart people in pursuit of their goals are lack of belief and commitment.

It is virtually impossible to achieve any goal if we do not believe we can accomplish it, or, if we do not believe we deserve it. Both beliefs essentially drain all the energy from the effort. The pragmatic mind suggests that it would be wasted effort to attempt to achieve a result that we can’t achieve, so forward momentum ceases. Typically then, frustration follows, along with lowered self-esteem and self-confidence, lowered pride, feelings of stress, disappointment and failure… All the opposite emotions from those that would have been enjoyed in the triumph of achieving the goal.

It’s critical to understand that all those beliefs, the negative, doubting beliefs as well as the powerful resourceful beliefs are entirely self-generated. They are simply words and emotions that, for whatever reasons, we have accepted as reality. They can often be changed as easily as simply recognizing the desired, empowering belief and accepting it. This can be done by deliberately changing the words we think and use, installing new beliefs at the subconscious level through hypnosis, or habitually reciting powerful affirmations. We can choose to believe anything we wish, and the uncritical subconscious makes it reality. Without belief, it is nearly impossible to achieve any important goal.

The next element that must be embraced is that of absolute commitment to achieving the goal. No worthwhile goal ever comes easy, and the great triumph of achieving challenging goals is in overcoming the obstacles along the way. All worthwhile goals seem to require confronting obstacles and frustrations, but with the belief that the goal is, indeed attainable, and the absolute unstoppable commitment to achieve it, goals come naturally, easily, and often rather quickly too. The only attitude that will suffice sounds like this: “I want that, I am going to have that, and nothing is going to stop me!”

All too often, along the path to achievement, people spend more time and energy focusing on all that could go wrong, and basically just talk themselves out of gaining the worthy goal. They relentlessly fill their minds with doubts. “I don’t deserve this good thing.” “It’s not going to happen.” “I’m not sure.” “It’s going to be hard.” “I haven’t been able to achieve this before.” “I’m trying…” Each and every thought or comment like this destroys belief and commitment. It focuses on the obstacles (many of which don’t even exist or are insignificant), and takes the eye off the prize (and all it represents).

I have watched people with 40 year smoking habits drop the habit in 20 minutes, and I’ve seem many others struggle and struggle because they choose to doubt themselves and consequently fail to commit to the goal.

Look very critically at your own beliefs and commitments related to your goals and resolutions, choose to believe, and commit to achieving all the good things you seek!