New Year, New You? Only If You Keep Your Commitment To Your Commitment
Along with the more notable year-end awards such as Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year, the NBA also recognizes the league's most improved player. The 2017 recipient of the Most Improved Player Award was Giannis Antetokounmpo better known as "The Greek Freak."
At only 23 years old, Antetokounmpo has worked to become one of the best players in the NBA. During the 2016-2017 season, Antetokounmpo led his team--the Milwaukee Bucks--in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and blocks. He became the 5th player in NBA history to lead their respective team in each of those five categories and the first player in league history to rank in the top 20 in each of those categories in a particular season. Additionally, Antetokounmpo was named an NBA All-Star starter, All-NBA Second Team, and NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2017.
Antetokounmpo previously stated, "I decided that no matter what happens I have to get better everyday...I just did what I was supposed to do and it started clicking." Every player hopes to improve their game from year to year. However, only those truly committed to the process, like Antetokounmpo, will actually see the desired results.
The New Year is upon us and we all know what that means--Resolution Time. We make a list of the things we hope to accomplish in the New Year. We aspire to change certain aspects about ourselves and in our lives. We vow to leave behind the things which did us a disservice in the past year. Unfortunately, these resolutions are often abandoned within a month or two. Why? Because effort and commitment are required. To be blunt, a lot of people want results, but don't want to put in the work.
There's nothing wrong with making New Year's Resolutions if this method works for you and you have a track record of seeing your resolutions through to the end. Quite frankly, a resolution is nothing more than a goal called by a different name. So like any goal, it will initially sound great in theory, you will be excited to get started, and you will have every intention to accomplish it. However, intention does not guarantee execution. The only way you will accomplish your goals is by staying committed to your commitment.
Our intention is always to see our goals through to the end. However, when the going gets tough or when doing something towards the goal becomes an "inconvenience," we have a tendency to give up on the initial commitment we made to doing all that is necessary. You cannot expect different results if you continue the same unfruitful cycle.
Maturation is necessary in order to attain a better standard of living. Just because the clock hits 12am on January 1st, does not mean your unproductive tendencies have been magically whisked away and success in all of your upcoming endeavors will be guaranteed. It is necessary to make the conscious decision to stick it out and remain dedicated to your goal regardless of the hardships or setbacks you encounter.
The results you desire are not going to happen overnight. It may take longer than you initially thought it would. However, you increase the likelihood of achieving the desired results by being consistent in your efforts. Every day, your primary objective should be to get better and to move closer to living the life you want to live.
There will be good days and not-so-good days, but despite your circumstances or "not feeling like doing" something, continue to press towards the completion of your goal. The convenient path is rarely the most rewarding.
Whether you have started working towards your goals or you are planning to do so in the New Year, the actionable steps below can help you along the way--in the new year, and beyond.
1. Plan it out: Just don't say you want to do something, actually write down everything that needs to be done in order for your to meet your goal. Develop a specific strategic plan for going about completing your objective. Establish a timeline so that you have hard dates to adhere to. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
2. Make your goals measurable: It is extremely helpful if you are able to track your progress as you see where you started vs. how far you have come. Observe and document your progress so that you are able to stay on track.
3. Do something relevant every day: Little by little, a little becomes a lot. No matter how small the task may seem, get into the habit of doing something daily that relates to the completion of your goal. The little things you do, begin to add up into something substantial.
4. Get an accountability partner or join an accountability group: Having others hold you accountable to stay on track and push you to stay the course is extremely effective. You are less likely to give up if you have ongoing support and if you are supporting someone else.
5. Reward yourself: It's important to have something to look forward to. Although you have the end result to look forward to, it is also important to have rewards along the way as an incentive to keep going.
6. Don't compare yourself to others: Often we get discouraged and eventually give up because others see results faster than we do. Your path is unique to you, which also means your timetable is as well. Comparison is the thief of joy. Stop comparing and focus on your own results, not the results of others.
I wish you great luck on your journey. You are capable of doing anything you set your mind to. Just keep your commitment to your commitment. Happy New Year.
