Life will always present its challenges no matter how “successful” a person becomes. True success isn’t accomplished by no longer having challenges to face, but rather, it is in our ability to continuously overcome challenges. In this blog post, you will learn the real key to being successful and having continuous personal growth. 

What does it mean to be challenged?

Let’s start with delving deeper into what it means to be challenged. For this reading, we will define a challenge as any situation, person, or thing that creates a barrier, rather big or small, and causes discomfort and/or inconvenience in your life. Challenges can fall along a spectrum of relatively easy to overcome to extremely difficult/damn near impossible to overcome. How you view said challenge will come down to a handful of factors. Do you feel like you are equipped to tackle challenges as they arise? Equipped with resources, mental capacity, emotional capacity, physical capacity, etc. If your answer isn't for sure yes, keep reading. 

Why do I struggle when faced with challenges?

As people, we are more likely to avoid discomfort than we are to embrace it. It is a natural reaction to flee situations that we feel will cause us harm. We prefer safety and security, and if we are faced with obstacles that may prove to disrupt that in our lives, we are more likely to consider walking away from, avoiding, or fighting to maintain our sense of safety and security. In certain circumstances, that is a necessary response. In other situations, however, it can cause more harm than good or at least not cause any good. So how do you know when to fight, avoid, or walk away versus committing to overcoming a challenge? 

What does it mean to commit or be committed?

Commitment is defined as being dedicated to a cause. If you are truly dedicated to a cause, you are less likely to walk away from, avoid, or fight against said commitment when faced with a challenge. Maybe take a moment to think about someone or something that has been consistently in your life despite the many challenges you have faced, rather directly related to that someone or something or not. For example, can you think of a person who has been in your life for a significant amount of time even through what you would consider major changes or transitions? Can you think of something that you have refused to let go of despite how difficult it may have been to keep or how easy it could have been to just let it go? Hopefully, you were able to identify at least one person or thing, but if not, it’s okay. Keep reading. 

Do I have commitment issues? 

To be willing to commit, is to be willing to have a higher calling and a higher purpose outside of self. If you have been struggling to commit, it can be correlated with a few things. Maybe you have yet to find a purpose or cause that you feel is worthy of dedicating yourself to despite its challenges. Maybe you don’t feel you have the resources necessary to overcome the challenges that can be associated with said commitment. Or perhaps you don’t see yourself as deserving of having the favor of commitment returned, so you don’t output more than you feel you will receive. Despite whatever the factor(s) is that could be hindering you from committing, whether that’s to a job, friendships, a relationship, etc., it’s important to understand that without commitment there can be no true growth and ultimately success. Therefore, it’s even more critical to gain clarity on what will be/what is your cause. 

What are some of the benefits of being committed?

Through commitment, you will learn selflessness, vulnerability, determination, resilience, trust, and so much more. These qualities set the foundation for personal growth and success. Without commitment, you may feel lost, disconnected, have low self esteem, low life satisfaction, etc. While it may seem easier to go through life letting go of or avoiding challenges, in the long term, it can and will prove to decrease your wellbeing. An unwillingness to commit despite challenges will inevitably lead to stagnation and diminished self worth. On the flip side, facing and overcoming challenges, while painful in the moment, will lead to increased confidence and long term satisfaction.

How can I learn how to be committed? 

If you or someone you know seems to be struggling with commitment, click here to book a free consultation with one of our licensed clinicians who can be able to provide you with more insight into how we can help you identify your barriers to commitment and/or help you to define what we know you are capable of committing to.