There are a lot of other words that point us back to commitment. For example: dedication. One who is committed is dedicated to success. Another is devotion. One who is committed is devoted to achieving success. We think the word commitment says it all.

Not achieving what you want to achieve? First, we must ask–How committed are you to achieving what you want to achieve? 

For example, have you set definitive goals? Just saying you want to succeed is not enough. You must have clarity as to what you want to achieve. You must be committed not only to your goals but to the process of creating goals. The majority of people in sales and in business have not set goals that will define success. It is easy to say that you want to make more money. It is not so easy to pinpoint exactly how much money you would like to make and exactly when you want to achieve this success. Furthermore, it is even more difficult to pinpoint the exact actions you are willing to take to achieve this success.

In other words, you need not only to identify what you define as success, but also identify what will get you there. Do not get the impression that we are only talking about money when we talk about success. We could also be talking about quality of life, when you would like to retire, how many other people you would like to help and how you would like to help them and a host of other characteristics. This is why being committed to identifying success is so important.

It is also why being committed to identifying the actions that will get you there is so important. Even more important is the fact that you must be committed to carrying out these actions. Of course, that is where many of us fall short. Succeeding means that we must move forward each and every day. That is what takes real commitment. Are you committed to success?

Most everyone says yes to this. But we ask you to dig deeper to really find out how committed you are. Committed is just a word, but when we examine your actions they will tell us about the feeling of commitment and how deep that commitment is.

How can you tell if you are committed? How easy do you get off track? Do you have call reluctance which means that you use standard objections to keep you from making calls you really should be making? For example, perhaps you don’t attend a networking event because you are out of business cards. Why would a lack of business cards keep you from talking with people? Those who don’t have reluctance might say–now I have a reason to follow-up with the people I meet because I need to get them my card. Not having cards makes me look very busy because I have run out of them.

It is easy to see the difference. There are many other ways to observe someone’s level of commitment. Do you always do what you say you are going to do? For example, if you say you will follow up with someone, do you always follow promptly? Or is your record of following-up inconsistent?

Many go to motivational seminars to get pumped up. Even attending the training you need represents a commitment. However, these seminars cannot be substituted for commitment. Commitment must come from within. To go back to a word we used previously, you must be dedicated to the task at hand. You cannot achieve what you need to achieve without dedicating yourself each and every day.

If you have been reading this and you realize that your commitment level needs to be deeper, what do you need to do? The good news is that you have taken the first important step. You will never raise your commitment level until you realize that your present level is lacking in some way. The first step is recognition, but the second step is action. What actions can you take in order to move to another level?

We already talked about setting goals, both long-term goals and short-term actions that will get you there. Now you must set into place a plan to make sure that you are moving forward. Perhaps you need a coach. Or perhaps a peer can serve as a “buddy” that you can check with every day. Don’t forget to make it fun. Success is not helpful if it puts you in a place you don’t want to be. Have contests and give yourself rewards every step of the way.