Commitment is Everything

  • 23 July 2015
  • Ian Williams

I’m not absolutely sure who said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. (According to Wikipedia the saying is thought to have originated with St Bernard of Clairvaux), but I’m sure there’s truth in it, provided of course that hell is a place you don’t want to be. Intentions are of course driven by ideas and thinking, and sometimes by our heartfelt desires. But very often they stop there, and never become a reality in the actions we take. When life goes awry, or something surprising happens, we need to stop and think. Why did that happen? Why did I say something that hurt someone else? It’s not what I intended! In those circumstances, we need to work backwards: OK so that was the effect……..how did I behave?………is that what I intended?

Intentions are worth nothing unless they are translated in how we behave, and to the effect or result we want to see. It boils down to your purpose, and the commitments you make to live that purpose. Winners in life often check out that what they are committed to actually works through into reality, and when things go wrong they work out why. Losers in life don’t bother, but tend to just muddle through injuring themselves and others in the process. They may be innocently oblivious to it all, or perhaps they just don’t care! But either way, there’s plenty of mayhem to see, when and if they bother to look over their shoulder at the results.

So what and who are you really committed to? How are your commitments related to your purpose in life, and how is all of that evident in your day to day life? These are small questions that require big answers. That’s why working on your personal leadership is so challenging!

Why not make 2015 the year in which you begin to consciously look at how your commitments translate, and the impact you have in life. Use the 7 of Hearts simple tool contained in the Kairology programme. This card takes you through commitment and you’ll be amazed at the results. As a taster here are some coaching questions to help your thinking and change:

A Checklist for Changing Me to Change Them

Play your Leadership Cards

 

About Ian Williams

Ian A. Williams - Kairos Development Ltd Ian is highly regarded in coaching people within organisations and on a personal level. His inspiration and purpose come from personal convictions about building quality and purpose in working life.

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