"Without commitment you cannot have depth in anything."

 

Posted by ADAM CARTER on MAR 10, 2023

“Continuing to do karate. What more is there? If you don’t keep at it, no matter how good you are, you’ll never be anything.” - Teruko Toume (82 years young)

 

What makes one person commit their life toward a specific goal, while another person quickly gives up pursuing a goal the first moment they experience adversity?

In the martial arts, what makes one practitioner continue to persevere against all odds, while another quits the moment he/she begins to feel pain and discomfort? Why do some people experience conviction, while others never seem to be motivated to do much of anything?

Being only moderately committed won’t help you reach your goals. You might as well spare yourself the effort if you’re not going to do it right. If you’re going to do it, then do it to the fullest, or don’t do it at all…… And don’t give me excuses.

What successful practitioners have in common is that their training is important to them, and they’re committed to being the best that they can be within the scope of their limitations – other life commitments, finances, time, and their natural ability. They set high, realistic goals for themselves and train hard. They are successful because they are pursuing their goals and enjoying their martial arts. Their participation enriches their lives and they believe that what they get back is worth what they put in.

Every decision you make is a decision between two or more priorities. You elevate one and lower another. What is more important at this time? What is more important long-term? Ask yourself these questions ruthlessly. Nobody can answer for you.

Persistence and what we call an “indomitable spirit” is an important characteristic of not just a martial artist, but a successful person. Most people commit to things that they are passionate about, or things that will benefit them.

People make time for the things that are important to them. The truth is that the martial arts does take a commitment on your part.

Motivation is often considered one of the foundations to achieving goals in the martial arts, and in life. However, performers in every arena struggle with how to stay motivated during long periods of training or difficult times. But rather than controlling your motivation, you actually could see more benefits if you focused more on increasing your commitment.

Motivation is based on feelings, while commitment is based on values. Whether you feel motivated or not is just that - a feeling. Your feelings of motivation may get you started and on the right track, but you may not get very far because your feelings change by the hour or even by the minute. You can’t always control the feelings you have towards something and therefore can’t always control your motivation.

But what you can control is how you respond to those feelings. Feelings won’t change the circumstances of your life, but commitment can. Commitment is action based. And actions are what drive change.

The martial arts require this commitment. Even the most intrinsically motivated practitioners struggle to stay motivated at times. When you’re only interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses.

You need to make a commitment, and once you make it, then your martial art will give you the answers.

“Without commitment you cannot have depth in anything.” - Neil Strauss