Commitment

A friend once told me, “There is a time when you have to decide to fish or cut bait.” To translate into plain English, you can work hard to develop a great plan of action but at some point you have to decide whether to act on it or not.

Many times we play down the importance of commitment. We assume that once we have laid out a plan of action, no further decision is necessary. Unfortunately, there are numerous lists of personal resolutions, to do lists, and strategic plans that sit in notebooks or in desk drawers and are forgotten.

Commitment is the covenant step. This is the point when we count the cost. We know ourselves well so we might ask, “What might I do that would get in the way of accomplishing this? How can I avoid those barriers?” We know our contexts, too, so we might consider, “What are potential changes in circumstances that might hinder my doing this? Are there ways that I can go ahead and address those?”

I often ask coaching clients, “On a scale of one to ten, what is your commitment level to this goal?” or “How much time are you willing to put in each week to achieving this goal?” When we get down to the reality of time and effort required to accomplish our goal, it is really “time to fish or cut bait.”

As Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62, NIV). Count the cost and then decide if you are ready to commit.

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