Your Habits Reveal Your Commitment

Have you ever decided you were going to do something, pursue a goal, change a habit, or finally follow through on something important and then didn't?

When the moment came to act, it suddenly felt too hard. Other priorities appeared. Distractions crept in, or the timing no longer felt right.

The motivation that was so strong at the beginning quietly disappeared.

I know I have experienced this many times, and a great example for me has been fasting.

Last year, I embraced the health benefits of fasting. I completed a 72-hour water fast, a few 36-hour fasts, and many shorter fasts lasting 15 to 17 hours. I now regularly fast for 15+ hours on most days.

When approached in an informed and sensible way, fasting can be a powerful personal practice to support health and discipline.

But it also takes commitment. And that is where the real lesson lies.

When I first learned more about fasting, I felt motivated. It strongly aligned with my number one value of health. I wanted the benefits. I wanted the discipline. I wanted the feeling of knowing I was doing something good for my body.

But wanting something and committing to it are not the same.



“Motivation is what gets you started. Commitment is what keeps you going.”

Jim Rohn

Motivation gets us started

Motivation gets us started, but it is commitment that keeps us going.

That distinction matters in leadership, business, and life.

When I am interested in fasting, I will do it when it is convenient. If I get hungry, I may decide to eat something light and tell myself it does not really matter.

And on one level, it may not matter. Eating is not the issue. I can always begin again.

The real issue is whether my behaviour aligns with what I said mattered to me.

When we repeatedly act in ways that are out of alignment with what we say we value, we slowly erode trust in ourselves.

This is where commitment becomes a leadership issue.

Leadership is not only about how we lead others. It is also about how we lead ourselves.

And self-leadership is revealed in the small moments.

The moment we want to react.

The moment we want to avoid.

The moment we want to excuse ourselves.

The moment we want to choose comfort over commitment.

These moments may seem small, but they are not. They are the moments where identity is built.

They are the moments when habits form. Because how we do the little things is how we will do the big things.

They are the moments where we either reinforce who we want to become or repeat who we have always been.

Read more here, starting with Commitment closes the gap between intention and behaviour