Commitment

Commitment.

Each morning as I walk at the gym I can’t help but notice a mother-daughter duo down below on the gym floor shooting hoops. I should say the daughter is the one doing the shooting, and the mother appears to be the one doing the coaching. 

They are usually there before I get there, and remain there after I leave. As I generally only walk for thirty minutes I have to guess they might be there for at least an hour. The girl appears to be around high school age, and seems very committed to improving her basketball skills. I imagine that she will be trying out for her high school team in the fall. 

As I think about this commitment of time, and the discipline required to improve her skills I can’t help but be impressed. It appears to me that this mother is committed to helping her daughter improve her basketball skills through hard work and practice. 

Last week I wrote about the difference between interest and commitment. Interest is definitely the easier of the two, and often borders simply on the fun and enjoyment of something, which isn’t always a bad thing. 

Commitment, on the other hand, may require sacrifice, something almost avoided at all costs these days. Discipline is easier when doled out by someone else. Parents, teachers, and employers have a way of holding our feet to the fire. 

Self-discipline, on the other hand, may be the harder of the two. When you have only yourself to be accountable to you may be too quick to give yourself a pass. I have found this to be true in my life.

Two interests of mine, theology and nutrition, have basically remained in this category. As much as I seem to want to know more about both, I can’t seem to be able to muster up the discipline required to follow through on learning more about either subject. 

By keeping them in the interest category it gives me an excuse not to put in the hard work that might be required to learn more about them. In order to cross over to the commitment realm it would require self-discipline on my part. 

I would need to schedule time in my day for reading and study. Now before you jump to the conclusion that that would be unpleasant for me, let me assure you that wouldn’t be the case. Always the student, I actually enjoy reading and studying. The proof being found in the many notebooks in my home filled with notes taken over the years on subjects that had caught my interest.  

However, where I seem to fall short is in my focus, and perseverance. I only dip my toe into the water when I feel so inclined. In doing so I feel disappointed in myself for not following through, and accomplishing what I had aspired to do. 

A very wise friend of mine, Varun, commented on my last posting about interest vs commitment in this manner:

“It is true, commitment is what separates the real joy and temporary happiness. Discipline is a key aspect of following through on a commitment.”

Rababi Varun Arora