Commitment Means Sacrifices

Commitment. Sacrifices. Goal-Setting. Goals. Discipline.

Photo by AJ Jean on Unsplash

In my quest of goal-setting, I have read a number of articles which discussed how we can increase the probability that we reach our goals: we are to make SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) goals, to be disciplined and persevere in the face of hardships, to make some aspects of the goals a lifestyle rather than a task, and the list goes on. Many of these are great advice, but as time elapses, I have–from personal experience–learnt a piece of knowledge that is practical and helpful in goal-setting but severely under-discussed: the awareness that commitment means making sacrifices:

Once a goal is committed to, especially if it challenges us and forces us to grow, it is inevitable that we dedicate time, cognitive bandwidth, sometimes even physical efforts, and God only knows what other resources, on a frequent basis, to make ourselves as close to our goal as we possibly can be. Consequently, this means that we have to give up on an array of activities that we presently and regularly engage in, for we have very limited resources every day. If we set a goal but go on with our daily lives, it seems to me unlikely that we can persistently dedicate resources to activities that allow us to reach our goals.

Look at your daily schedule (and I think it highly advisable to create one if you don’t already have one), should you aim to attain a fitter physique by going to the gym 1 hour a day, what must you sacrifice to ensure that your daily 1-hour gym sessions are optimal and productive so that they propel you closer to your goal; instead of stagnating your progress, or worse, degrading you because these sessions are an hour wasted every day with no fruitful outcomes? For you, perhaps it is spacing out an hour from your busy schedule for that session, or altering your awful sleep schedule so that you feel refreshed for your sessions, or overcoming (removing) your gym-timidation, or transcending your idle attitude. It would be different for everyone, but what holds constant is that sacrifices are to be made. Perhaps if you actively remove unproductive habits, mindsets, or items in your purview, not only will you reach your goal, you may also start to see positive changes in your everyday life. 

Because the commitments we make are bound to expend our limited resources, making a commitment translates to the sacrifice of certain existing aspects of yourself. I believe that by persisting in the commitment to productive goals and the gradual sacrifice of unproductive elements of ourselves, we can truly reach our full potential. 

Think. What is holding you back? Remove them relentlessly. 

All the best in achieving your goals.