Anne Cook discusses motivation and commitment as part of the Race to Bayshore program.
/ upnorthlive.com photo
You know growing up when your parents are wrong about everything and they just don’t “get” you or what it’s like to grow up? I remember those days. My parents would tell me all sorts of things to do and I just KNEW they were only doing it to make me mad. (I mean really – why WOULDN’T they let me stay out past midnight on a school night?)
Well, turns out they were pretty smart. Last weekend I was chatting with Coach Lisa, who has a teenage daughter so she totally gets it, and I told her that the biggest epiphany of my life (so far, I’m only 23 after all!) was that my mom has been right about everything…literally, everything. I swear that woman has never been wrong. And my Dad’s not too shabby either.
My mom’s latest golden nugget of knowledge was this one: there is a big difference between motivation and commitment. Now I can’t give her 100% credit for this one, but since she’s the one who told me – and she’s my mom and I love her - I’ll give her at least 95% credit.
That really resonated with me. I’m the type of person who is always motivated or excited by something. I very easily get obsessed with an idea – like Race to Bayshore – and have all of the mental energy in the world to make it happen. But what about physical energy?
That’s my biggest problem. I am motivated – about everything, all of the time. But am I always committed? Heck no.
So how do you turn that motivation into results, into commitment? No really, I’m asking. It’s something I’m constantly battling with. Having a coach helps. When Coach Lisa sends you that email every week and asks “how’d it go?” you better have a good answer! Having a team helps too. When Marc comes into work every day and says “did you run?” – you can’t hide the truth there! But what I’m really struggling with is that inner commitment. I don’t want to run out of shame, or out of fear of letting my coach and teammates down.
So, help me out; what is your best kept secret to make sure you are committed?
