Last year I did something I was really super proud of, which was completing my first marathon!!
It was hard. The training was hard… the marathon itself was hard… but the growth I experienced in the process of doing it was amazing.
And guess what? Not sure, but I think I finished last. I think it took me about seven hours.
I’d always wanted to be a runner, but I would start running and stop, start running and stop, start running and stop. I would quit on myself all the time. I’d never really conquered the demon that is running before.
So this time… I signed up for a marathon, announced it to the world, and made it clear (to myself and others) that it was going to happen. I still ‘wasn’t a runner’, so I had to figure out a way to make to happen for myself… and I did! I found a particular interval training method and ran/walked for SEVEN HOURS!
I realized very early on that if I set an expectation of myself that’s large, I will really go for it, but then there’s also a risk of disappointing myself.
You know… DISAPPOINTMENT. The big D. ;-) It holds us back from so much.
You think… “Maybe I’m not going to make it. Maybe I won’t be able to. Maybe I’ll fail.” And then you stop.
So what I had to do was commit to the training, commit to doing it anyway, despite the fear of disappointment. And when I committed, I figured out a way to make it work and I did it. (So proud of myself despite my slow times!)
See… if you’re afraid of disappointment, you still can’t let that hold you back. You must claim your goals and commit to them despite the fear of disappointing yourself.
In fact, drum roll please… commitment is the antidote to disappointment!!
Because the solution to how to achieve what you want comes after you COMMIT.
Because you find the answers after you COMMIT.
Because you will do the work and absolutely surprise yourself with your own determination and capacity once you COMMIT.
But so often, we only sort of, kind of commit. We bail on ourselves. We get distracted. We fog out. This is what leads to disappointment. But guess what? This ISN’T commitment.
Commitment is no matter what, come hell or high water I’m doing this.