Intention

If one has to get up at ungodly hours, then these are the sunrises one cannot miss.  This morning for me was an early one, however on coming down the hill I couldn't but stop and watch this beautiful sunrise.  My meeting could wait, sometimes it pays to get up early!

I continued onto my meeting after taking a few photographs, my good feeling continuing not only throughout the meeting but throughout the day.  Usually on these early morning days I leave early, stumble home and fall upon the sofa.  But I have made a commitment to myself that I would leave my office early and go to the gym.  No one was there to check on me, I hadn't stated my commitment out loud, so I could have easily just gone home quietly and relaxed, no one else the wiser.  But like committing to family, a friend or a job, I am learning that committing to myself is equally important.  

What is com‧mit‧ment? 

Wikipedia states that 'Commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.. It is also known as a pledge or an undertaking.'  

I often find that while I stick to any commitment made to work, family or friends, sticking to a commitment made to me is so much more difficult to achieve.   I find too that I am not alone.  Clients who are trying to change or move forward, often find that while they will almost bend over backwards to ensure they meet any commitment to others, their commitment to themselves is easy to ignore.  So how can we make sure when we commit something to ourselves we treat that commitment in the same manner as we would to anyone else.  Speaking that commitment out loud, booking them into our calendars, making them as important, or more so, than all other commitments we make.  Take something that you try to do on a weekly, or monthly basis - an hour at the gym, an early night - anything that you want to do for yourself, make a commitment to keep that commitment once a week for a month, same day, same time.  See how you do.  Let me know how you do - I'm curious.

Oh, and by the way, the ending to my story.  I keep my bike on a rack on my car, I left early, took my bike off  and took it out.  The bike ride was brilliant, 18 K in the sunshine!