Part 1 – The Magic of Public Commitment
I have been doing a lot of reading, thinking and learning recently, and the most common theme that comes up when the talk is about reaching a particular goal or outcome is this:
When you commit yourself to putting the work in on a particular goal, and when you make that commitment public, you are going to be much more likely to reach the outcome you are looking to reach.
I want to give an example. There was a study performed where they looked at two groups that used the “MyFitnessPal” calorie and food tracking app. Group one used the app and tracked their daily nutrition and had targeted calorie goals. Group two did all the same tracking with one minor difference:
Group two shared their calorie goal and weekly data with a friend or family member and let them know about their commitment to their goal.
The outcome? Group two had a 50% increase in reaching their goals from literally just doing that one extra part – sharing their commitment to their desired outcome to someone – having another person that they knew they were going to report back to changed their outcome dramatically.
What can we learn from this? Well, a lot, in fact!
We are connected social animals. The more connection we have with people, the better we ultimately perform. Think of another scenario – let’s say you have a goal to lose “X” number of pounds in “Y” months. What do you think would happen to your mindset if you shared this goal publicly on social media?
What do you think would happen to your “commitment” muscle? Do you think it would grow a little bit, because you just told your world that you were committing to this thing, and don’t you feel you would have a higher likelihood of achieving said goal?
Can you think of an area of your life where committing publicly to something and how taking this small, but powerful extra step would help you reach your goals faster? I bet you can.
But what if you are shy, and you don’t want to share a personal goal publicly? That’s totally ok! This is where you find a very close friend or family member and ask for their help. Here is an example where you can ask your spouse for help if you had a weight loss goal:
“Hi, honey. I have this goal that between Halloween and New Years I want to stay committed to maintaining my current body weight, and continue to work out 3x/week. I know this will be hard, since the average American gains between 8-15 pounds during the last 2 months of the year. Can I share with you my weekly weigh-in numbers, and can you continue to help with the kids on those mornings that I like to go to the gym?”
The first step is just asking. This is a great way also to connect with your spouse in a way that keeps you both supporting each other. You can also ask them “What would you like to commit to and have me help hold you accountable to?”
This works best with a new goal or habit change, because you know you are staying accountable to another human – especially another human you have a close connection with.
Key Takeaways
Public Commitment will only work when you follow through and stay consistent to do the thing you said you would do. This is where the law of consistency comes in, and this is what we will be discussing in part 2!
Ever wonder how to stay consistent with your plan, even when things get tough. Well, you are in luck! That is what we will be talking about and it will be all about how to stay consistent with your plan. Stay tuned!
Are you looking to stay committed publicly to a health or wellness goal? Our team is ready to help you! Check out this amazing 14 Day Kickstart Program that will help you to get the ball rolling:
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