photo credit: hans s

Life is a sum of all your choices.

— Albert Camus

Malibu (the kitten) has one major goal in life – to get onto my desk.  Although he will give you the impression that he is interested in other things, in reality he is focused like a laser on my desk.  I’m not sure what the attraction is, maybe it’s just that each time he gets there, someone removes him, but whatever it is, he is determined.

Because he is so determined, no matter what he is doing, IF I walk away from my desk for a moment and don’t move my chair away from the desk, he will leave whatever he is playing with and within seconds, he will be examining all those wonderful cords running into my laptop.  He doesn’t sit around and wait, he just notices and takes advantage of each opportunity that I give him.

It has struck me, as I engage in this battle of keeping him away from all the cords attached to my laptop, that we could all learn something from this level of commitment.  If I were this focused on losing weight, I’d be a size 8 and able to wear the latest fashions instead of being the size that I am. (No, I’m not telling.  Just trust me, it’s a bit of a distance from where I am to size 8.  As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve ever worn an 8.)  Not only would I be small, I’d be fit.  Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound – OK, maybe not that fit, but I’d be healthier than I am now.

Reality Multi-tasks

You’ve probably all heard the old saw about the role of the chicken and the pig in ham and eggs; the chicken is involved, while the pig is COMMITTED.  Most of us are more “involved” in our goals and not so committed.  Many writers and speakers who talk about achieving goals define commitment as being willing to do “whatever it takes.”  I’ve always had a hard time with that definition because for many of my goals, I’m willing to do what it takes within the constraints of my other commitments.  The problem with a single minded focus on any goal is that the rest of our lives don’t stop while we pursue that goal.

So, how do we live our lives, fulfill our responsibilities to others and still manage to achieve our goals?  Conventional wisdom is that we should do one thing at a time.  Focus for whatever time we have on a particular task, and then when that task is complete, move on to the next.  Conventional wisdom must have been written by a person who isn’t trying to work, take care of family members, cook, clean and keep house.  For me, the only way I survive is to timeslice.  I start a load of laundry and then I sit down and write for a while.  When the dryer finishes, I empty it, hang, fold or whatever the clothes and then go back to writing.  When the washer finishes, I move the stuff to the dryer, add a load to the washer and then go back to writing.  For most of you, this is a familiar rhythm.  For me, this is commitment – focus while fulfilling my other responsibilities.

The Power of Commitment

What, then, does it mean to be committed?  If I won’t give my all, like the pig in the ham and eggs example, what is commitment?  I guess I’m more like the chicken. (Hey, it’s better than being a pig.)  I’m committed to producing – completing tasks that contribute to achieving my business goals.  AND I’m committed to maintaining relationships, cutting coupons (for the families of our troops), continuing to learn and keeping up with current events.

Commitment is a state of mind.  Like Malibu, who while doing other things ALWAYS notices when I have given him an opportunity to strike the mother lode –my desk – I notice things that support my goal.  By setting and committing to a goal, I activate my radar.  As I go through my day, my mind is actively scanning for ways to advance towards my target.  Unlike Malibu, I may not be able to drop everything else and run for the gold, but I can notice, record and return to the opportunity after I have walked the dog, emptied the dryer or cleaned up the dinner dishes.

In some ways, this approach requires MORE discipline than just sitting down and getting things done.  It means that I need to be more aware of where I want to go during the times that I can work towards my goal.  This is the power of commitment, the ability to continue to work towards a goal while living our lives.  We don’t have to choose.  We get to do both.