Are You Committed?

 

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." 

~ Vince Lombardi ~

Oftentimes we look at someone who has achieved greatness in some area of their life with a slight bit of envy. We think to ourselves how much we would love to be in their shoes.

They make what they do look so effortless that it can be easy to forget what it took for them to reach that point.

All the hours and hours of practice, doing without now, so they can have what they want later, etc. But, it's actually something even more than that.

People who have achieved true greatness in some way have "burned their ships in the harbor," as the following story, which was relayed to me years ago, illustrates.

A general was to land on a foreign island with several hundred soldiers. Their mission was to seize the beach and hold it until reinforcements arrived the next day.

The enemy, however, were known to be a fierce and ruthless adversary who’d never lost a battle.

As the soldiers were departing their ships, the general heard some of them telling one another that if the going got too tough, they’d simply retreat to the ships and sail away.

Upon hearing this, the general ordered that all the ships be burned in the harbor. His men, with nowhere to retreat, won the battle and held the area.

That story really says it all. It gives the key to achieving your goal in any area. All you have to do is follow the example and there is no telling what you can accomplish.

Sadly, however, most people aren't willing to "burn their ships." They (like the soldiers in the story) want them there in case things get too hard they can use them to escape with.

But that’s not the way of true commitment. No, if you really want to achieve all that you're capable of then you must follow the general’s example, and do what you must.

I’m a firm believer that all people who’ve made a mark in this world have been willing to commit themselves this way.

People like the young musician who moves to Nashville, against the advice of his friends and family;

Or the actor who goes to Hollywood, in hopes of landing a big movie role;

Or the business person who risk his or her life savings to fund their business start-up.

I’m not saying those types of decisions are for everyone. But, we all can learn from their example.

Maybe for you, it’s committing yourself to your marriage, to remain together, for better or worse, and really meaning it.

Or maybe it’s a commitment to graduate from college, or to stop smoking.

Regardless of what it may be, the principle remains the same. You have to be willing to keep going, no matter how hard you’re hit.

When things get tough, you must remain committed to your decision. You must be willing to give it your all. Because if you do, you can’t be stopped.

Well, that's it for now. Until next time...

Keep reaching,
Jay

P.S. I would love to hear from you! If you have a comment on this post, please leave it in the comments section, so I can respond to you and others can read it as well. Thanks!

Comments

[Gene Dasher]

Thank you again for your words of wisdom.

[Jay Platt]

Thanks Gene! And thank you so much for your feedback. It really does mean a lot to me.

[Chick]

Thanks for posting this Jay, I really look forward to working on developing this kind of commitment.

[Amanda]

Wow, burning the ship...it's genius but hard...I'm pretty fearless when it comes to my career, but there are a few other areas that I seriously need to find the courage to do that.

[Jay Platt]

Thanks Chick, and I look forward to our work together as well.

[Jay Platt]

Amanda, thanks for your comments. You're right, but much of the really important stuff in our life, isn't necessarily easy to do.

[LBJ]

Fastastic post this week! So many people live life with a "fall back" plan but then use it as an escape when the going gets tough. It definitely takes courage to burn the ship, and as long as you've prepared yourself to be successful, that is a great life strategy.

[Jay Platt]

Thanks LBJ. You're right about people living life with a "fall back" plan. And yes, it certainly does take courage to burn your ship. That's for sure.

[Jim Edwards]

Great post. I'd ready to burn my ships!

[Jay Platt]

Thanks Jim. Make the commitment, then burn those ships!

[Rudy]

Sometimes in life,valuable lessons are learned from not "burning our ships" when we should have! The mere lack of commitment and the consequences that are so likely to follow are a sure-fire way to teach the importance and value of being truly committed- NO MATTER WHAT!! GREAT article with a great analogy! Thank you Jay

[Jay Platt]

Thanks Rudy. I think we have all had times when we didn't burn our ships when we should've. The key is to learn from it and move forward with that hard gained knowledge.

[Rick P]

As always, a great article Jay! This past week, I have been, "burning some ships". I've been doing this in the form of going through my business card binder and attempting to re-establish business contacts from years ago. If I don't receive a response, in the trash can it goes. I have learned to focus more on the "here and now" than what I have done in the past. Life is too short to waste time on the past. It's time to look forward to the future !

[Jay Platt]

Thanks Rick. I love the idea of focusing on the "here and now." Such an important lesson.

[Chick]

Great post Jay! This showed me that I need to stop giving myself an "escape route" when I am pursing a change in my life. This escape route way of thinking has kept me in a "one step forward, two step back" mentallity for years. Thanks for the words of wisdom, they haven't fallen on deaf ears. :-)

[Ann Raeside]

Love this idea of "burning ships". This also goes along with what I learned while training my dog this week. We teach the dog to "leave it" when we do not want them to mess with something. I think we humans have a lot we could "leave it". Emotions, people, habits, etc. These are my two new thoughts burn the ship and leave it!

[Cheryl Yantis]

Love the blog, I haven't ventured out this way yet. I certainly have been burning ships. Thanks for all you have done to inspire me and millions. You are the best. We will be with you always. I have even come out of my hidden shell, I didn't know I was in. Cheryl@Page Hypnosis

[Alan]

Not to be confused with "not burning ones bridges" which is a horse of a different color, "burning one's ships", in a sense, seals one's course and commitment towards a particular do-or-die goal by raising the stakes and making the obstacles, that will surely arise, seem small by comparison.

On another note, we should never envy another for what he has or has achieved, but rather be inspired by the fact that it is indeed possible. The question we should be asking ourselves is, "if him, then why not me also." Just asking the question can start the mental wheels in motion and lead to the actions that will bring it to pass.

[J]

THANK YOU JAY----I pray for the conviction and courage to go forth. Thanks for your inspiring words-it is possible.

[Jay Platt]

Thanks Chick! By "burning your bridges" there is no telling what you can do.

[Jay Platt]

Thanks Ann! I love the dog training analogy!

[Jay Platt]

Thanks Cheryl! I know, when the time is right, you will. I believe in you.

[Jay Platt]

Thanks Alan! Excellent point, as always.

[Jay Platt]

Thanks J! I know you can do anything you set your mind to.

[Beth Strickland]

Your stories and your life are an inspiration to me. The greatest challenge of my life is to keep moving through fearful circumstances knowing there may be failures but knowing I won't have to wonder what would have happened if I had not tried. Stagnant is not an option. I must not waste time running in place or even going backward. And just as those men cannot go back to the ship burned in the harbor, I must move forward with determination, face the every-day challenges, and let my character develop along this path I've chosen. I am truly my parents child... hard-headed and stubborn, and I am not known for doing things the easy way. But easy is not the point... excellence is the point!