Written by: Alejandro J Tornato, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
If every year is pretty much a reflection of the year before, right now there are hundreds of people flocking into gyms all over the country to begin fulfilling their “New Year’s Resolutions” to start their journeys into health, fitness, and overall wellness. From the outside, everything seems great and moving in the right direction according to a well-established and thought-out plan, with one caveat, unfortunately there is no plan to be found anywhere. The following statement immediately came to mind: “He who fails to plan, plans to fail”; and that is true under any circumstance and no matter what it is. That is exactly what the so called “Resolutions” are all about, a quick and impromptu decision that most people make primarily for two main reasons:
1. Because most people are doing it, and we tend to imitate the behaviors of others (especially those that are close to us such as relatives, friends, partners, co-workers, etc.), and,
2. To try to quiet the guilty voice of their conscience which can be very loud and extremely annoying at times.
Well, needless to say that most people begin doing something different in January thinking that finally this is the year where everything is going to change, but guess what, it really doesn’t…and why?
The reason is by no means rocket science, nor is it high level mathematics but the simple practice of common sense. However, I heard someone recently saying that common sense is not so common anymore.
At this point, I would like to introduce a short and very simple concept which I define as: A.C.T.
A-Achieving
C-Commitment
T-Transformation
Every time we want to reach a certain goal, starting something new in our lives, replacing a habit with a better and more effective one, for example lose weight, improve our health, become more disciplined in our daily tasks, have better time management, or whatever else you may want to do; everything originates with the right mindset. Please, keep this in mind that all things we want to see in our concrete realities start with a single thought in our minds. In other words, it begins with a mindset of “Achieving”. Now, if we stop at this stage then nothing is going to happen, I assure you, because this is the first spark of ignition and something else must keep this ignited spirit moving forward, and that is the power of Commitment.
In this process, the first step is the desire of achieving something new in your life, and that desire cannot be kept active and alive without a strong daily dose of commitment. This is where most people fail because they don’t maintain that level of commitment. One thing you can do to keep this going is to “believe in yourself”.
Henry Ford stated:
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, either way you are right”.
Do you truly believe in your own talent and ability? What do you believe about your own success?
Doubt and limiting beliefs are extremely harmful to your commitment in achieving your results. Change and replace those toxic and damaging beliefs with positive ones about your abilities.
The second element to maintain commitment is to stop being attached to comfort, safety, and simplicity; and instead of paying attention to the three keys of staying committed to your goals. These keys are Sacrifice, Purpose and Determination.
An essential key to knowing we are committed is when we are willing to make sacrifices to reach the intended results. Commitment through sacrifice is directly related to the idea of loyalty.
To have commitment we must find meaning and purpose in the task or goal we are in the process of reaching. Once you find that purpose, it will immediately ignite your passion that will drive you forward to its achievement. Perhaps right now is a good time to do some inner reflection and examine what ignites your passion in your life.
The last essential element to maintain commitment is “Determination”. The reason being that commitment and determination are tied together, one cannot exist without the other. In very simple terms, as you journey along the road of achievement you will surely find obstacles, and without the determination to overcome these roadblocks, commitment will begin to weaken. You must face these obstacles with a solid resolution without wavering and this tenacious determination will keep your commitment strong and well planted.
Now, we come to the last letter in A.C.T., which is Transformation. Therefore, as you continue moving forward along your achievement road with an undivided level of commitment, you will start to experience the magic of your own personal transformation.
I would like to give you a word of caution here because many people place transformation in the same category as personal growth, however, there are important distinctions between the two concepts. Transformation is the opportunity to create something completely new such as a commitment or an action to develop and unfold an extraordinary future. I will comment on one important difference between personal growth and transformation. The former is based on feelings, whereas the latter is solely based on committed action. Personal growth works with a person’s feelings in order to pump you up and have you become more confident and self-assured. If you are feeling bad, you figure out why and work on resolving that. Once you are feeling good again, you can move forward. This process directly relates your feelings to how successful you are. One thing we should strongly consider is that the only thing that changes our world is committed action, and when you are intentionally focused on committed action, your feelings will not influence the outcome. Whatever happens along the way will not have the power to derail you from your commitment, and transformation will be a reality in your life.
Alejandro J Tornato, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Alejandro J Tornato is the Founder and CEO of "Tornato Speaking, Leadership & Coaching LLC", offering Motivational Keynote Speaking, Leadership Coaching and Personal Growth & Development Training. Alejandro is a powerful and dynamic sought-after International Speaker and Coach Certified through the “Maxwell Leadership Organization”. He is also one of the Founding Directors at "Have The Edge", with a mission to provide the most comprehensive coaching and training programs for business leaders and entrepreneurs. Alejandro's teachings and communication style immediately connect with individuals and groups from all backgrounds. Alejandro is the co-author of "Create Terrific Teams", and the host and producer of both "The Alejandro Tornato Show" and "Have The Edge" Podcasts. Alejandro is a Top Mentor on Wisdom, the world's largest audio mentoring platform.
