“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”—Paul J. Meyer
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I did not fully grasp the meaning of commitment until I accepted an offer to oversee the drafting of case studies and to conduct the initial editing of the book, In Search of Excellence: Exemplary Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific Region, for the regional office of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization located in Bangkok, Thailand.
Among the four editors of the book, I am the sole representative from the Philippines. The team leader, Patrick B. Durst, is an American married to a Filipina. Chris Brown hails from New Zealand, while the only female member of the editorial board is Japanese, named Miyuki Ishikawa.
Upon accepting the role of editorial consultant for the book, I was unaware of the significant time commitment it would require from my professional responsibilities. This necessitated multiple trips from Davao to Manila and then to Bangkok to discuss the book’s outline and other related issues.
I received all the relevant documents, reviewed them thoroughly, and established a thematic framework for the case studies. Additionally, I collaborated with all the authors, the majority of whom held PhDs. Durst, who was then the senior forestry officer at the FAO’s regional office, expressed a desire for the book to be accessible to a general audience, stating that it should not be a technical publication.
Many of the authors were unfamiliar with journalistic practices. I had to clarify my requirements, including how they should structure their case studies, the individuals they needed to interview (based on the original manuscripts provided to me), and the photos to be incorporated into the book.
In the beginning, the authors were taken aback by my requests. However, after several exchanges of emails and phone conversations, we were able to resolve all issues. In fact, some authors reached out to me, expressing that they gained insights from my editing approach. One remarked, “Now, I understand how a journalist operates.”
Despite moments of wanting to give up, I recognized the necessity of perseverance. I had made a promise to myself to complete what I had initiated, and this determination proved fruitful. The book emerged as one of the most sought-after resources within the FAO office. Its popularity was such that a Chinese translation was subsequently produced.
For some individuals, the concept of commitment may seem insignificant in life. They may believe that fulfilling assigned tasks is sufficient. However, those who achieve success understand the critical role of commitment. Ed McElroy from USAir articulated this sentiment well: “Commitment gives us new power. No matter what comes to us – sickness, poverty, or disaster – we never turn our eye from the goal.”
“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes but no plans,” said Peter F. Drucker.
Commitment means something different to each person. To a soldier, it means going over the hill, not knowing what’s waiting on the other side. To a marathoner, commitment is running another ten kilometers when his strength is already gone.
According to Dr. John C. Maxwell, of the world’s successful book authors from the United States, there are four types of people when it comes to commitment. These are cop-outs, holdouts, dropouts, and all-outs.
Cop-outs are those who have no goals and therefore don’t commit. Holdouts are people who don’t know if they reach their goals, and so they’re afraid to commit. Dropouts are those who start toward a goal but quit when the going gets rough. The all-outs are people who set goals, commit to them, and pay the price to reach them.
Elihu Thomson, an English-American electrical engineer second only to Thomas Alva Edison in number of patents held, was a pioneer in the field of radiology. Before the dangers of X-rays were fully understood, workers were being burned by radiation. In 1896, using two of his fingers, he discovered that lead shields stopped the rays but aluminum did not. The experiments left his fingers stiff and scarred.
“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek,” said Mario Andretti.
Well, there are people who are committed to surpass what they have done or what others have accomplished. At 92, Paul Spangler completed his fourteenth marathon. At 91, he swam 1,500 meters in 52 minutes, 41.53 seconds to set a world record for the over-90 age group. At 91, Hulda Crooks climbed Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the continental United States.
“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too,” William H. Murray once pointed out. “All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events emerged from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way.”
But whether a man would commit to a certain work or idea boils down to choices. In Choices, Frederic F. Flach reiterates: “Most people look back over the years and identify a time and place at which their lives changed significantly. Whether by accident or design, these are the moments when, because of a readiness within us and a collaboration with events occurring around us, we are forced to seriously reappraise ourselves and the conditions under which we live and to make certain choices that will affect the rest of our lives.”
In other words, anytime you make choices – and as long as these are based on solid life values – then you are in a better position to sustain your level of commitment.
