Commitment is overrated.
Simply put, stop worrying so much about committing to your goals. This is, admittedly, a bit tongue in cheek, so I’ll explain what I mean in a moment. I will also add that this does not apply to everyone, there are some David Goggins level psychos out there, and if on a spectrum of potato to Goggins, you lean more Goggins, well then this doesn't apply to you. We all have different tendencies, strengths, and weakness, so be honest with yourself, and if this is for you, well, I hope it helps.
How often do you hear someone talk about these lofty goals and big ambitions, only to never even start towards them? You feel happy for them, even excited that they are wanting to improve their lives, since this is likely a person you care about. The first step towards positive change after all is realizing that you need it.
Yet, when you follow up with them, they aren’t even trying yet. Why? The common response is because they want to be able to "fully commit" before they start, they don’t want to "half-ass it," they want to make sure they can be consistent. And, to be fair, consistency is one most important aspect in regard to achievement of any sort.
So, this all sounds great, right? The problem is, that perfect scenario they're waiting for never comes along. There's never the extra time or money or sleep, and in an effort to avoid “half-assing it” they end up with no ass at all.
The metaphor breaks down at the end there, but you get the point.
Often times when people are waiting for the right time - when they are wanting to, “optimize,” and to make sure they can really stick with it - they are, in truth, just afraid of failure.
They are afraid of starting and failing, so they fail to start at all. It looks bad to fail, to be the person that doesn’t see something through, to seem like you don't know what you want. We then use that stigma either as an excuse to talk the talk without walking the wall, or, because we are genuinely afraid of the judgement that might follow our failure. An obsession with hardcore commitment like all the influencers and entrepreneurs you see leads most people into complete inaction, not greater commitment.
Going hand in hand with this fear of failure, or judgment, or general excuse making, is this: If we start and fail, then the little work we did do will have been for nothing. Why go for one run if I don't run again for six months? I will have just wasted my time, and achieved nothing. I've thought this way myself.
It's wrong.
Let me tell you - One workout makes a difference, one healthy meal makes a difference, 1 page in a book, 5 minutes less scrolling a day - it all matters. Life is a series of moments, so how can one choice, one moment, not make a difference? Those decisions do matter, it does help. Starting, failing, and having to start again is a hell of a lot better than never starting at all under the façade of “commitment.” Don't let the idea that you have to go 100% or 0% keep you at 0% Because you know what's better than 0%. One day, after 50 tries and 49 failures, you'll find yourself halfway to where you want to be. And that's pretty good.