I watched my oldest son march in formation.  He graduated this weekend from pilot training in the Air Force….a dream he has had ever since he was a little boy .  I should have known when he refused to take off his flight suit when he was just a toddler! I saw how he went after his dream doing what ever it took to get there. Committed enough to work twelve-hour days and come home only to study another four hours.

He was committed to his dream.

 If you have watched the Olympics, you have seen the results of commitment by Ryan Lochte beating out Michael Phelps in swimming the 400 IM.  Michael admitted that he only trained nine months for the most grueling swimming race. Ryan on the other hand trained four years and even tossed around 675 pound tires just to warm up!  Ryan knew what he wanted and narrowed his vision to the target and achieved his goal. He was committed and won the gold medal.

His commitment won him the gold.

 Being committed takes effort and hard work.  There are times when we want to throw in the towel, to walk away  We think it just seems easier to give up than to press on. Commitment is what sets us a apart and in the end helps us accomplish our dreams. Commitment also helps us have success beyond what we could have imagined.

 Commitment shows our team and those who support us that we have what it takes to lead, that when times get tough we are going to do whatever is necessary to guide the ship.  Commitment helps us be our best selves; to use our time and resources wisely, to lead – even if we didn’t want to! 

An Every Day Leader is committed to sticking with it, knowing that by doing so you are making a difference in the lives of those around you.