The Power of Commitment

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." James 1:6-8

I have always found this verse to be rather confusing, never quite sure why the writer would be so harsh on someone who has doubts. I think back to the account of Thomas (who we refer to as Doubting Thomas) when he said "Lord I believe; help my unbelief." We all struggle with doubts, especially when what we see in real life seems to contradict everything we believe.

The issue that James is trying to address here is that of commitment, which has its root in our belief system. When we are truly committed to something, we stand 100% behind it and we believe whole-heartedly in our cause. However, if we have doubts, our commitment level drops and we are no longer effective in our endeavors. Allow me to illustrate this with a real-life example that will exemplify the disastrous affects of doubt.

Having been an employee with the same company for over 14 years, I have always prided myself on my loyalty and my commitment. My diligence and hard work has been rewarded over the years, and my work has brought me much personal satisfaction. However, over the past few months, things changed drastically for me as I began to entertain the idea of leaving and joining another company. The thoughts of working in a different field excited me. Perhaps I just needed a change. But would the risks be worth the reward? I struggled with the uncertainty and wavered in my decision.

Unknowingly, the doubts about my current role and my wavering commitment to my current employer took its toll. I was no longer a happy, satisfied employee. I no longer gave a 100% to my projects. My thoughts were turned elsewhere. I couldn't quite bring myself to leave, but I couldn't quite bring myself to stay, either. I became a "double-minded man [woman], unstable in all his [my] ways." And honestly, I do believe that I became "good for nothing" as I no longer had the zeal to excel as I had in the past.

When the Lord revealed this to me a few weeks ago, I knew that it was time to make a decision. I needed to commit one way or another - either leave and move on or commit myself fully. I decided to turn down the lucrative job offer that I had received. I made a conscious decision to stop entertaining the prospect of leaving and to commit myself fully to my current employer and stop wavering, stop doubting.

The result of this decision has been profound. I have a renewed excitement about my work and I am committed to making my company successful. I am now single-focused, committed. What a difference it has made in my own joy in life and my attitude at work. I now look at my work as an opportunity to excel, and I find myself willing to take on new challenges and invest myself in my work. I have more energy than I have had in months. And I am truly happy.

This issue of commitment affects every area of our lives. Perhaps you are experiencing doubt about a relationship or doubt about an activity in which you are engaging. Your doubt will cause a lack of commitment which will make you extremely unhappy and unproductive. I encourage you to determine what you want out of your relationships, your job, your activities and make a conscious decision to give yourself completely to what you believe in. Then you will no longer be "blown and tossed by the wind", but you will be stong and steadfast, living according to your beliefs. Only then can you experience personal joy and fulfillment. Only then will you truly be living.

Living By Your Goals

With the New Year's holiday only a few short weeks behind, it amazes me how quickly many of us forget our goals. With my new emphasis this year of living as if it were my last year of life, I decided to develop a set of goals to guide my year and to really stick to it. There is so much I want to accomplish and I needed a good plan in order to really have a productive year. What I didn't anticipate, however, is how quickly my goals would be challenged and how difficult they would be to keep.

Last week I received a job offer that was very tempting. While I have been with my current company for over 14 years, I have to admit that the prospect of working on my own, writing books for a company in France, was quite appealing. No more demanding clients, hectic schedules or project deadlines. No more phones ringing, time sheets to update or meetings to attend. If it had not been for the goals that I had set just days before, I probably would have taken the offer. And it probably would have been a huge mistake.

Since my goals revolved around what I really wanted to accomplish this year, I had to ask myself if writing project management books was what I really wanted to spend my time on, especially if this was the last year of my life. While I definitely have some writing that I want to do in order to leave my mark on the world, project management definitely does not rank up there as an important life topic to spend my time on. And, even though I like the subject and have the knowledge to write the books, I needed to ask myself if I am really passionate about it. As I stated in my previous entry, passion is essential for us to truly enjoy life and to achieve personal satisfaction in our endeavors. So, I gratefully declined the offer.

While some people may think that setting goals for the new year is a futile effort, I truly believe that you have a higher probability of achieving what you want if you set goals than if you set none. Even if you don't reach all of your goals, you will undoubtedly reach some and you will have more focus and ambition in your life. Setting goals also provides you with a set of guidelines for your life that can guide your decisions and make the decision process less laborious and more satisfying. So, if you really want to have a satisfying life and make decisions that are good for you and fit in with your life's goals, sit down and write up your goals for the year and what you really want to accomplish. Then, simply stick to your goals, live by them, and let them guide your actions throughout the year.

It's All About Passion

Last week we had a meeting of our strategic planning team at work. We were discussing what our unique identifier is as a company. As we shared ideas, we eventually settled on the word "passion". What makes us different from our competition is our passion for technology.

I thought about this word passion all week long. How often do we really think about what we are passionate about? And how many of us live out our passions in our daily lives? I am fortunate enough to have a career doing something that I love. Computers fascinate me, and I love learning and applying new technologies. But what are the real benefits of passion?

Passion makes the difference between doing something from obligation or doing it for the love of it. Passion enables you to work harder and longer at something than you would ever dream possible. It causes you to press on, to not give up. It pushes you to excel, to reach new heights, to dream new dreams and to achieve more than you believe possible. Passion is the difference between living and existing.

I would encourage you to take the time to think about what you are passionate about. What is it that gives you a zest for living, that can consume your time without ever feeling like a chore? What brings you happiness and fulfillment, a sense of accomplishment and victory? If you can find your passion in life, you will be truly blessed. And if you pursue your passion and focus on it, you will begin truly living.