ARE YOU "INTERESTED" OR "COMMITTED"

Trying is just a noisy way of not doing something.

I learned from author and consultant Art Turock that we need to make a distinction between being interested and being committed. When you are “interested” in doing something, you only do it when it’s convenient, but when you are “committed,” you follow through no matter what—no excuses!

Many people are interested rather than committed. They talk about trying to do something, rather than actually doing it. They make lots of noise, but fail to follow up. An interested exerciser wakes up in the morning to rain and says, “I think I’ll exercise tomorrow.” A committed exerciser wakes up to the rain and says, “I better exercise inside.”

When a person is committed to doing something, he or she will find ways to suppress rationalization. Even when it is inconvenient, such a person will keep his or her commitment. Persistence in life is characterized by this mental and behavioral toughness.

-Ken Blanchard

The Heart of a Leader