Reasons or Results

How Commitment Can Move You from Reasons to Results

By Xavier Lee

When Alexander the Great led his fleet of Macedonian ships and landed on the shores of his enemies, Alexander ordered his men to burn the ships. When his generals asked “How will we return to home?” Alexander replied “We will either return home in Persian ships or we will die here.”

Vastly outnumbered and far away from home, Alexander sent a powerful message to his enemies and to his own army with this act. By cutting off any possibility of retreat, Alexander demonstrated his absolute resolve and proved his unwavering commitment to his goal. Alexander’s men knew that they had to win in order to survive, so his men were fully motivated and committed to succeed.

Alexander the Great’s example reminds me of a couple of my mastermind group members whom I got to know when I was co-facilitating the mastermind group years ago.

We had one member who would fly in to San Francisco from Bogota, Colombia for our monthly Saturday meeting every month. His best friend and business partner who lived in Toronto, Canada would also make monthly flights to San Francisco from Toronto. When I asked them why they made the effort to fly from so far away every month to attend just a day’s meeting, they both gave me the same answer, “I am committed.”

It’s no wonder that these two men are both not only successful millionaires, but successful husbands and fathers. Even though “officially” I was their trainer/facilitator of the mastermind group they were in, I probably learned more from them than they learned from me.

When I feel like giving up, or taking the easy or comfortable path rather than the more difficult but ultimately more rewarding path, I think of these two tenacious men who modeled commitment for me.

You can have reasons or results, but you can’t have both. Results require commitment. Discomfort and reasons are often temporary, but you never regret the success and good work once achieved. And each result and success increases your level of confidence.

Zig Ziglar said: “Most people who fail in their dream, fail not from lack of ability but from lack of commitment.”

Angela Duckworth, a best-selling author and a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, suggests that grit, closely related to commitment, is a strong predictor of success and reaching one’s goals. Duckworth’s research reveals that perseverance and passion to achieve long-term goals are more important than talent or intelligence to success in a variety of fields…

West Point cadets who scored highest on the Grit Test were 60% more likely to succeed than their peers.

Ivy League undergraduate students who had more grit also had higher GPAs than their peers — even though they had lower SAT scores and weren’t as “smart.”

Competitors in the National Spelling Bee outperform their peers not because of IQ, but because of their grit and commitment to more consistent practice.

Modern life and social media have conditioned us for quick gratifications. We desire a life of ease and comfort. It’s easy to come up with reasons to avoid the sacrifice and/or extra effort required for achieving our long-term goals.

The truth is long-term success requires commitment. And making a commitment entails sacrifice. It is a promise and a pledge to a course of action. Therefore, breaking it can harm our own integrity and reputation. Whereas, steadfast habit of practicing one’s commitment can build confidence and ultimately our long-term goals.

As coaches, I hope you will adopt the mindset of Alexander and my two mastermind members throughout your life and in your coaching journey. Success and becoming the best version of yourself is going to take a strong commitment and sustained effort to push through reasons and challenges.

Remember: We are a community that’s sharing this journey with you every step of the way. Reach out to give and receive support whenever there’s a need.