Commitment
- Welcome back to the second in a series of weekly reflections on change.
Last week was about creating some distance between myself and all the emotions and over-thinking I was stuck in before I could decide whether to move to Geneva for a year.
I decided I did and started packing a few boxes, spent some time with my grandkids and friends, went on favorite rides one last time, called several moving and storage companies for quotes, and, and, and…got more stressed and anxious as I ran around in circles doings things but feeling like I was getting nothing done.
What was going on? The crux of the problem was I had an intention (to move to Switzerland) but had not made a commitment to make it happen. So I committed to be on the plane at 11am at Sea-Tac on November 13, 2021 with my wife and our two cats, my life in the states wrapped up for a year, and ready to live in Switzerland through 2022.
From there, I worked backwards. We had to sort and pack for sea and air shipments that would leave well before our flight, be moved out of our house, and find a renter. We had visa and vet paperwork to submit, and so on. Still lots to do, but with a commitment each task had a non-negotiable deadline and were assigned to either Hannah, me, or someone we could ask or hire to help.
Instantly my days had purpose and direction. Choices were easier. What I could and couldn’t do became simpler, and what I could and couldn’t accomplish became clearer. Not getting to do all I wanted to do was hard to accept but the satisfaction of watching each choice move us closer to what I was committed to and wanted even more was worth it.
Now when something is taking a lot of my time and energy but not giving much back, I'm better at hitting pause for a moment to ask if I really want to make it happen. If that's a yes, then I ask if I'm willing to commit to making it happen no matter what. If that isn’t a yes, I quit giving it time or only give it time when it doesn’t get in the way of doing what I have committed to.
If you’re busy all the time but not accomplishing much, I invite you to look at what you're spending time and energy on and get curious about intentions you may want to let go of so you can honor the commitments you have made.
As a coach, I'm committed to helping clients get from where they are to where they want to be quicker than they could on their own. If you’d like to explore what working together would be like, or would simply to like to connect, please schedule time for a complimentary conversation here. If you know of someone else who might be interested, please contact me directly.
Thanks for reading!
Steve Hindman
+41 (0)79 796 08 97
Expand Your Experience!
Au revoir for now!
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