To The Ones Becoming: On Commitment

I have heard and learned what commitment is before.

But a few days ago, I learned it on a higher level.

I am currently on a public reading accountability journey, and I was supposed to write a general review of everything I read this week. But I couldn’t help myself, I had to write a separate reflection for this one chapter alone.

Chapter 19 of The 12 Week Year is profound.

I found myself exclaiming out loud, highlighting almost every line. Truly, I almost highlighted the entire chapter because everything stood out. And I knew it would be a disservice, to my present self and my future, to reduce this chapter to just one key principle using my usual review template.

ChatGPT had advised me before I started this reading journey that if I tried to write out all the points from a chapter, I might stall, and for someone trying to build momentum and consistency, that advice is valid.

But this chapter?
This chapter is everything.

We say things like:

“I am committed.”
“One of my qualities is commitment.”

But you have to ask yourself honestly:
Have you read Chapter 19 of The 12 Week Year or are you just using your own definition of commitment?

Here’s what struck me most:

Commitment is first a conscious decision that involves taking specific action in order to achieve a desired result.

The book explains that there are two levels of commitment:

  1. Personal commitment – the promises you make to yourself

  2. Commitment to others – the promises you make publicly or relationally

The analysis of personal commitment stood out to me the most because, truly, in this big world, it is me against me. I also now understand that mastering personal commitments directly translates into how well I keep commitments to others.

The truth is, I have made myself many promises.
I have good intentions for my life.
And I know, with certainty, that fulfilling those promises would do me a lot of good.

But somehow, I don’t always keep them.

And I have learned that it is not “village people.”
The problem lies in what I thought commitment was.

Yes, commitment begins with a conscious decision, but beneath that decision lie unconscious intentions I may never immediately identify. The book explains this clearly:

This was eye-opening.

I now know that interest is not enough.
It must be a strong desire.

But even strong desires will be tested.

So what saves us?

1. Mapping out keystone actions required to achieve that desire.
But these actions are new—and anything new introduces discomfort to what is normal.

So what do I do?

2. Count the cost.
What price is required to be paid?
And I must be brutally honest with myself.

Only after counting the cost do I arrive at what we often mistake as commitment:
3. Acting on commitment, not feelings.

The same principles apply to commitments we make to others.

To conclude this exciting write-up, written for my present self, my future self, and for you, the ones becoming, a thinking shift is required. There must be core beliefs that guide commitment:

  1. Learn to say no.

  2. Train your mind to connect with long-term outcomes over short-term inconvenience —delayed gratification.

  3. Don’t give yourself a psychological out.

  4. Understand that every sacrifice, challenge, discomfort, uncertainty, and doubt produces benefits far beyond the present moment and shapes who you become in the process.

The chapter also highlights common pitfalls and success tips, but I’ll end my I-can’t-keep-this-to-myself reflection here.

So tell me,
Did you have a light-bulb moment too?

From my becoming,
To the Ones Becoming 

On this note, I’d like to say Happy New Year to you…specially from my heart.

With love,

Olayide Juliana

My name is Olayide Juliana, a steward.
I believe that light shed, knowledge shared, and beliefs reviewed can make both me and the world better.

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