Stages of Commitment

Ep # - 39 Stages of commitment

Commitment has different stages. We’re going to go through them today, and commitment is part of three main ingredients to a strong relationship with yourself, do if you didn’t hear that , go back to last week’s episode: Recipe for strong relationship, and I’ll link in show notes here.

Commitment usually has a foundation that we don’t see. It’s the stages that’s growing before we really notice it. This is the fun part and the part that doesn’t feel like we’re really committed to anything yet. So there’s less or pressure.

It’s not necessarily something we’ve heard for the first time, but it may feel like that because when you’re in full blown commitment (ALL IN phase), it feels impulsive, you make the decision immediately, you make it happen, and you decide this is for you and you will do whatever it takes. You realize it’s not impulsive when you look back at the other stages.

It’s the curious stage - this is really when you hear of something for the first time. It’s casual, something in passing, it may catch your eye and attention, and you start thinking; hmm that’s interesting, that’s weird, huh, never heard that before,

Interest Stage - this is where it becomes more personal to you. So not only have you heard about it and know it exists, like an opportunity or something you want to go after, you start thinking hmm, who else is doing this. I’d like to do it. What are the benefits? Looking but don’t think you’re going to do it yet. This is really where the desire is created for it. You start making it more personal to you. This is one of the longer stages. You’re really starting to make it work if you did.

Decision Stage / All-in - It’s not necessarily something we’ve heard for the first time, but it may feel like that because when you’re in full blown commitment (ALL IN phase), it feels impulsive, you make the decision immediately, you make it happen, and you decide this is for you and you will do whatever it takes. You realize it’s not impulsive when you look back at the other stages. It’s just the moment you DECIDE you are all in. That is a critical stage.

Commitment is the last one - it’s the one that gets applied to keep you going even when you don’t feel like it. It shows up different ways. SOmetimes it’s simple and easy, sometimes it feels hard, but you KNOW you are not quitting. It’s just not an option.

What’s helpful here is to go back through the stages regularly. Not waiting for the moment when it feels hard. A weekly checkin is optimal. Keeps your focus on WHY you did this and that you CAN create the way the experience feels.

For example, each week, set aside 30-minutes as a check in for yourself and go through the stages on paper starting with the Interest stage: why was this interesting to you in the first place. How are you still committed to that? How were you feeling in the decision stage when you were all in? Offer to yourself that you can feel that right now. Commitment - write out how you wil treat yourself through the process this week when quitting is not an option.

It’s not always DRIVEN -like yeah,, all in baby! You don’t have to beat yourself into commitment. In fact, the more LOVE you show yourself through each week, the more commitment GROWS and is easier to access.. Whaaat??? Yeah, it’s pretty cool. CHeck out the graphic from last week’s episode to see a visual for that. I promise you it’s a lot simpler and creates a COMPLETELY different experience when you love yourself MORE, not beat yourself up. That’s why it’s so valuable to drop your inner critic because all those means things don’t motivate you or make you committed to yourself. Be your supporter. Use these stages to keep commitment fresh and your results as good as done in your mind. When you have commitment, you trust you’ll follow thru. They go hand it hand.

There you have it. One of the three ingredients in the three part series to a strong relationship. Listen in to next week’s episode to get the next one.

For those of you who want to work with me, don’t worry, I’m going to tell you how to do that. Go to www.mschristiewilliams.com, apply to work with me, and we’ll schedule your consult.