I am busting out two quotes that will blow your mind today. One from a multimillionaire businessman and one from one of my whip-smart girlfriends, who suffers no fools.
"If you are interested you'll do what's convenient. If you are committed, you'll do whatever it takes" - John Assaraff
Read it again. Really take it in. This is one of the most powerful concepts I know in terms of creating and owning your own health and happiness. Happy people are committed to being happy and successful, and less happy people are generally only interested in being happy. The difference is massive.
What is means is this. When we are truly committed to an outcome - whatever it may be: getting in shape, buying an investment property, qualifying as a vet, owning your own business - we will do whatever it takes to make it happen. There will be obstacles. With any milestone that's big or consequential, a few (or many) obstacles along the way are an inevitable part of that journey. A happy and successful person knows that, and moves over or round that obstacle in whatever way they can in order to keep their eye focused on the outcome they want. They will try and try and try in however many ways they need to, to make it happen. They are not just interested in their success, they are incontrovertibly committed to it. They don't get thrown off at the first sign of struggle.
For example, someone who has decided they will be happier 15kg lighter and commits to that goal will find a way to leave the office on time for a workout, when the person who is just interested in being 15kg lighter will not. The committed person will get up at whatever time they have to, to prep healthy meals, or to make the boot camp. They will say no to the wine or the dessert at the social family dinner because they are not just interested in being at their best weight, they are committed to making it happen. They are more committed to their goal than they are interested in another 45 minutes in bed or the social acceptance of joining in with a slice of cake.
When we are interested rather than committed we fool ourselves into thinking we are going to make that thing we want happen. But really, we are only going to achieve it if we don't have to extend ourselves too much or make too many difficult, uncomfortable calls. We are not going to do what it takes, we are going to do what's convenient. If everyone else is eating healthily round the dinner table, we will too. If everyone else orders the pizza, well then, we will join in. We do what is convenient. It's very different, and it's characterised by a feeling of slight aimlessness, like we aren't really achieving or that we are drifting a bit. It doesn't feel terrible, but it doesn't feel like happiness on purpose either. It feels like the path of least resistance.
