The Simplest Commitment in the World

What’s the first thing you do when you really want to get something done? Some say you need to plan it out. Others might argue it’s important to find your support crew – the people that will help you accomplish it.

I take a different stance. I say the first thing you need to do is commit. Before you make a plan, before you go in search of team members, you have to convince yourself that you’re 100% committed to whatever you’re about to do.

Without that, how far can you really get?

When I started Riskology.co, I knew I wanted to turn it into my career. It’s not quite there yet, but it’s on its way. I’d have never even made it this far, though, if I hadn’t committed to making that happen. In the last five months, lots of opportunities have come up to work in other fields. I’ve turned them all down because they would have distracted me from my main focus here.

If I hadn’t promised myself to make Riskology.co work, I’d have easily been drawn away. I’m glad I wasn’t.

A Promise to Yourself

At the core of this commitment, is the promise you must make to yourself to be authentic and spread your message – to tell the world what you stand for. Every single person has a unique story that can change the world, but not many ever make that critical promise to themselves to tell it.

It’s uncomfortable. When you make that decision, it means no longer hiding behind your job description. It means not brushing aside the questions people ask when they get an unexpected answer to “So, what do you do?”

What’s your unique message? What do you need to tell the world?

Stop reading for 30 seconds….and really get clear about it. Tell yourself who you are and what you intend to do. Got that figured out? Don’t keep going until you do. Now for the easy part:

Commit to spreading that message.

The beauty about making a commitment is that it seems hard, but it actually isn’t. In fact, it’s really easy. Say it out loud. Go ahead. No one’s listening. If they are, then all the better. Did you do it? I wasn’t joking. Say it out loud, damn it!

Public Accountability

There’s one more step to this process. Making a personal commitment is one way to motivate yourself to actually do something, but making a public commitment is even more effective.

When you take your words and write them down for others to see, the whole game changes. As important as the 1% Club is to me, I wouldn’t be as motivated to pursue it as quickly as I am if there weren’t thousands of people looking at it every day and wondering when I would have an update for them.

Again, this is something that seems hard, but it really isn’t. All you have to do is write down a few words – just a few simple words.

The world needs to hear your message and I want you to tell it, so here’s what I’d you to do today:

Leave a comment telling us all what your unique message is, make a commitment to tell it, and sign your name to it.

Here, I’ll start.

I promise to be true to myself by telling the world about the benefits of taking risks by writing passionately for Riskology.co and other important outlets every single week. When someone asks me what I do, I’ll tell them with sincerity that I help people lead more interesting lives by taking bigger risks. If I am honest and if I am passionate, the world will listen.

Tyler Tervooren

Go leave your comment now.

P.S. You don’t have to stop here. You may never come back to this article again, but you’ll probably go to the refrigerator, your desk, and your car over and over again. Write this contract to yourself down again and post it wherever you need to see it each day as a reminder.

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Image by: eschipul