You have decided to become an IAS officer and have begun preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. Right? But how deep is the desire to become an IAS officer in your heart and mind? How passionate do you feel about realising your dream? How dedicated are you to your preparation? In a nutshell, how truly committed are you to what you have decided for yourself? These are vital questions because commitment determines the level of your success in life.
One can recall many successful people eloquently talking about the importance of commitment in life. “Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality,” said Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. For Mr. Tony Robbins, the author and coach, “There is always a way if you are committed”, while another author and journalist, Mr. Neil Strauss, believes, “Without commitment, you cannot have depth in anything.” Motivational speaker Mr. Denis Waitley employs more profound words to underscore the importance of commitment when he says, “Commitment is that turning point in your life when you seize the moment and convert it into an opportunity to alter your destiny.” And what does commitment do? “When you make a commitment, you create hope. When you keep a commitment, you create trust,” says Mr. John C. Maxwell, author, coach and speaker on leadership. Finally, to quote existentialist French icon, philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre, “Commitment is an act, not a word.”
More than in any other system of beliefs, Indian thought and philosophy have put enormous emphasis on commitment as a way to an accomplished life. Before inducting students into the gurukuls, the questions seers used to ask them were all to test their level of commitment. How important is commitment to you? When things get tough, are you in the habit of standing firm? Is your dedication undeniable? How committed are you to your values? Then, it’s natural that Indian spiritual leader Mr. Jagadish Vasudev, globally famous as Sadhguru, speaks very highly about the importance of commitment. The founder and head of Isha Foundation, based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Sadhguru is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers ‘Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide To Joy’ and ‘Karma : A Yogi’s Guide To Crafting Your Destiny’. His words resonate when he says, “Incredible things can be done if we are committed to making them happen. Out of commitment, humans can move mountains.” Here is another gem from the vast reservoir of his quotes: “As a human being, you should not think about where life will take you. You should only think about where you want to take it. What you need is a commitment as to where you want to take your life.”
Commitment is dedication and passion you have for what you do. It is “an act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action”. When you are committed to what you do, it can positively impact the quality of your work. But how do you increase your level of commitment? Here are some helpful tips for improving your commitment to what you do :
First, identify your values. You will be more committed to your work when the work is more aligned with your values.
Second, develop self-respect and passion. Self-respect and passion are essential components of commitment. If you respect yourself, you also respect what you do and feel more passionate about it.
Third, try and reframe failure as a motivator. Since failure or setback is often a contributing factor in reducing your commitment, you must change how you view these experiences so that they can become a motivator rather than an inhibitor.
Fourth, commit to a system. Yes, you must commit to a system rather than a goal. That is not to say you should not have a goal. A goal is good enough to get you started, but having a system is what gets you results. Cracking the CSE might be your goal. The system is how you prepare, study, select subject material, evolve methods, handle problems, and learn from your mistakes, among others.
Fifth, develop success habits. Much of your daily work is routine. Therefore, you need to turn your work and tasks into habits. Motivation is what gets you started; habit is what keeps you going. The more success habits you develop, the easier it is for you to commit to your work and the success you want.
With these words, I wish you achieve greater success in life with a constant and deep commitment to your work.