The Simple Commitment Hack That Can Help You Crush Procrastination for Good
What if the difference between achieving your dreams and falling short is just one degree? How can we go from good intentions to actual achievement, by-passing procrastination all together? Commitment is key—and more precisely, your degree of commitment.
Ideas are a dime a dozen in my mind. They're popping up all the time. Most certainly have immense value—and generally go nowhere. Because I don't act on them. I say, "I should do this or that." And they slip away into a no-man's land of unaccomplished thoughts, on a list somewhere never to be seen again. Is that your experience too?
The Shift from "I should" to "How will I?"
When we're stuck in the land of "should," our goals are at risk.
The first shift is to make a decision. Not a half-hearted, wishy-washy , hands-wringing decision, but a firm, unwavering commitment.
When you do that, your mind shifts from "I should" to "How will I?" You start focusing on solutions instead of problems or excuses, and you start taking the action that will move you closer to your goals.
Notice the words: "a firm, unwavering commitment."
You know that feeling when you're almost committed to something, but not quite? You want to make a change, but part of you is still holding back.
That's the difference between being 99% committed and 100% all-in. It's just 1 percentage point, and it changes everything. Staying at 99% commitment leaves just enough space for procrastination and self-doubt to wedge their way in, opening the door to all manner of excuses. You end up spinning your wheels—and risk missing out on opportunities for growth, success, and fulfillment.
Let's be clear. What's at stake is your ability to create real, lasting change in your life and work.
All in 100% leaves no wriggle room. So, the brain moves to "how," tapping into it's problem-solving powers, and you unlock a whole world of possibilities along with a whole lot of motivation, momentum, and results.
You become the kind of person who follows through, who can be counted on, and who makes things happen.
This is the power of commitment. Rory Vaden, in his Commitment Continuum, explains that going from 99.7% committed to 100% committed is the difference between being a "should-head" and being all-in.
Research from The American Society of Training and Development confirms that people who make a 100% commitment to their goals are far more likely to achieve them than those who are only partially committed.
Jack Canfield in The Success Principles gives us more reason to go 100%—it's easier. “Once you make a 100% commitment to something, there are no exceptions. It’s a done deal. Nonnegotiable. Case closed! Over and out… [You] never have to think about it again. There are no exceptions no matter what the circumstances. It ends the discussion, closes that door, permits no other possibility.” You can stop expending all that energy fighting with yourself about whether you do it or you don't."
The Power of Extra Effort
There is another single-degree shift that applies to achievement. Once we've made the commitment, the next phase involves sticking to it until we get results. Like water, you have to heat it and heat it until it boils.
In their book, 212: The Extra Degree, Mac Anderson and Sam Parker expand on this metaphor: “Raising the temperature of water by one extra degree means the difference between something that is simply very hot and something that generates enough force to power a machine—a beautiful, uncomplicated metaphor that ideally should feed our every endeavor—consistently pushing us to make the extra effort in every task we undertake. 212° serves as a forceful drill sergeant with its motivating and focused message, while adhering to a scientific law—a natural law."
In Brief: How to Make Things Easier
Two powerful ways to make things easier are:
Go all in.
Make the extra effort.
Take Action towards More Productivity
Discover five practical strategies to supercharge your commitment and crush procrastination for good—download the playbook.
And if you want to learn more about making these crucial mindset shifts, reach out, and let's talk.