Do you peter out on your goals?
Do you get half way through…and quit?
Do you get almost there…and it still seems so far out of reach?
You may have heard the expression, “A Journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.” The wisdom in that phrase is that in order to reach your destination, you must actually get going. Take that first step.
Chances are that as an entrepreneurial leader, your issues aren’t around the first step. They’re around the steps that come after that first step. And if you’re anything like me, the more steps there are, the less I’m interested.
A while ago, a friend related the journey of reaching a goal to the experience of climbing a 6-step step ladder. His explanation rang true with me, and I want to share it with you.
The six levels of commitment
Level 1: Apathy
Apathy is no commitment at all. It’s indifferent. Couldn’t care less, you might say.
Level 2: Wish
Wishful thinking. There may be some desire here. But it quickly evaporates once effort or difficulty arrives.
Level 3: Try
This is where you’re willing to give it some effort…as long as it’s not uncomfortable.
Level 4: Priorities
This sounds like commitment. After all, everyone has to set priorities, right? We can’t all do everything all the time, right? The issue here is when prioritization becomes a justification for not achieving a goal. “I would have but….” “I couldn’t because.…”
Level 5: Enlightenment
Enlightenment happens when you focus on the experience at the expense of the goal. “I’ve learned so much about myself, and that’s a good thing, too. I gave it my best, and my best wasn’t good enough, so I’ll settle for less.” Enlightenment is the journey of 999 miles.
Level 6: Commitment
This is what commitment actually looks like. Doing what you say. Achieving your goals. “I committed, and I do what it takes to accomplish my goals.”
And yet…
Time after time I find myself at that 5th level. And in all honesty, a lot of times, it feels like it wasn’t strenuous or difficult to get there, to get to 999 miles. But that last mile? That last step? For me, that’s where I settle. I get a lot further than a lot of other people…and I still don’t live up to my potential.
And when I get there, I remind myself…I have a choice. I can stand there on that 5th rung on the ladder, having travelled 999 miles swiftly, and stop. And that’s OK, because, at the end of the day, it’s my choice. Nobody else is forcing me to stay on the 5th rung, nobody else is preventing me from reaching that 6th rung. If I choose to stay there, it’s because I choose to stay there.
Or I can lean into that final step. Because the journey of 1,000 miles not only begins with a single step, it also ends with one.
