Being interested in doing better is not good enough

I was reading (yes, I can read) my favorite Jack Canfield book (The Success Principles) the other day, and it spurred some pretty interesting thoughts inside my dinosaur brain. The book was comparing and contrasting the concepts of commitment and interest. Here is a quote that "he borrowed" from Ken Blanchard:

"There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results."

This passage rings so true to me when I think about my tepid relationship with running (Mrs. Planner says that I jog and that she runs, but since my blog is my own special world, I run). When I "have time" to run, I run. Guess what? I rarely find time to run. I should probably switch to the "make time" method of running. If I was truly committed, then I would make time. I would run in the rain. I would run in the snow. And I would be a helluva lot happier with myself and my efforts. There is great joy in committing to something. It's silly how often we deny ourselves the opportunity to be committed to something.

After twelve years in the financial world, I can tell you with great confidence that most people are simply interested in improving their financial lives. Think whether on not you are committed to your financial goals. Or are you simply casually interested. Are you interested in saving money for your kids' college education? Or are you committed? Are you committed to paying down your debt? Or are you merely interested?

Let's go beyond money for a moment. Because sometimes you can find the cause of your financial problems by looking at other aspects of your life. So let's start with this: What are you committed to? You might find that you aren't committed to a damn thing. That's not good. Chances are that you at least committed to something. And whatever you are committed to should help you find the will power to add yet another serious commitment. For example, here is what I'm committed to: my wife and daughter, my health, my financial future, and my clients (readers, followers, etc). I can honestly say that I don't think twice when it comes to working on these areas of my life. I just do it. Which begs the question: what am I merely interested in? Well, golf, not losing my hair, and reading a book a month. There is a pretty good chance that my interests will never be achieved. Because I simply don't make them a priority.

Man up (or lady up) and get after it. The sun is going down tonight, and when it rises tomorrow it would be pretty kick-ass if you woke up committed to something new. I'd love to know what you are committing to. Leave a comment with your new commitment.