Why You Should Choose Commitment Over Challenges

I recently celebrated my 8-year anniversary of Fitness First, my daily morning workout ritual. One of the most crucial lessons I’ve learned in this journey is the power of language.

Taking action consistently over the long term is hard. We need every possible tool on our side.

One of the most potent tools in our arsenal is language.

The language we use to describe something has a strong influence on our beliefs, attitudes and emotions towards it. And our beliefs, attitudes, and emotions drive our actions — even when we are not aware of them.

September brings the start of a new school year and the Jewish new year. It’s a transitional time between seasons. This is a natural time of year to create new routines and rituals, an ideal time for change. Many coaches and mentors seize on this by rolling out “challenges.”

One of the reasons that 30-day (or shorter) “challenges” don’t work is the energy of the word.

Words are powerful shapers of experience. For me, “challenge” sits heavy.

Challenge makes me think of obstacles and problems. It seems to invite the Resistance before I’ve even begun to mobilize. Cambridge dictionary defines challenge as

something that needs great mental or physical effort to be done successfully.

So, yes. Basically rolling out the red carpet for the Resistance.

Instead, I prefer to think of my daily practices as “commitments.”

A commitment is

a promise or a firm decision to do something.

Commitments speak to my identity: I consider myself a person who honors their commitments. So if I commit to something, I find a way to meet that commitment. I feel pulled to act to be in alignment with my values, because if I don’t honor my commitments I feel out of integrity.

That doesn’t mean that my commitments are without challenges. This isn’t a duality reality. They can co-exist. Ultimately, though, I have agency over the commitments I make. I choose what to commit to, and the scope of the commitment.

Resistance is going to do its best to find a way in the house, but I don’t have to leave the front door unlocked and open for it by taking on more challenges. Besides, don’t we have enough challenges already?

Instead, I choose to make commitments.