Fully Committed

The ice pack on my hip needs to be replaced and frozen again, but it hurts too much to get up and pop it in the freezer.

Why the ice pack, you ask?

After hitting a nice little summit on our hike last week, my brother and I were in for a very unexpectedly difficult descent.

The uphill was steep enough to get our heart rates up and confirm we are still in need of getting in better shape, but the downhill saw us slipping on lava rock mixed with dust, dirt, little rocks, and a mildly graded trail not suitable for hiking in our chosen attire.

My bro biffed it first, which is as surprising as seeing a mountain goat take a tumble, crashing to his knees, as we laughed in shock while he winced at the pain of ripping open his pants, blood gushing from his knee.

Dusting himself off, our laughter quickly became concern as we realized there was no other route to get down the mountain, we just needed to tough this one out.

Unfortunately, the shoes we wore just couldn’t grip the ground – street shoes without traction.  Dang. 

Next it was my turn, but instead of just falling to my knee, both feet slipped out from underneath me as I somehow managed to cut open my knee, elbow, and land squarely on a chunky lava rock that conveniently dug itself into my hip.

Having just driven 300 miles for our errand pickup, this was our midday enjoyment hike before we returned another 300 miles back home.

In our past, we have hit the summits of the most daunting mountains on the Wasatch Front in Utah, prepped for weeks, scoped it out, knew the routes and trials/trails ahead.

Yet here we were, on what most would consider a baby hill, a wimpy mound, that required less than preparation, a quick decision to stop and bag a peak we happened to see that looked ready to be hit, and it should have been a walk in the park.

In our non-hiking shoes, with no backpacks, provisions, first aid kits, and one water bottle to share, our lack of preparedness was met with being fully committed only to what we had gotten ourselves into with little to no preparation for what we thought would be a simple hike.  

You know how this story ends: We made it down, but it wasn’t pretty, and we are paying the consequences (hip pain, bruises, bloody knees) of our choices to do the hike in the first place.

Of course next time we’ll be better prepared, less likely to put ourselves through such an ordeal, even when it appears simple, as it could have saved us much pain.

And our regular shoes are now ruined.

How often do we find ourselves on the descent of an unexpectedly difficult situation we aren’t prepared for?

Think of the many things you have fully committed to:

• Serving on the board of the charity organization that now requires more than you expected;
• Finishing the project at work that falls on your shoulders after pandemic layoffs left it all on your plate;
• The elderly parents who now need your full-time care while you try and raise your family;
• Signing up for the latest program to challenge yourself physically only to have a surprise health issue;
• The relationship you thought was rock solid that now requires work, therapy, compromise, and mediation to get through;
• A deadline to turn in the work that is far-too ambitious, but your future depends on it.

There are so many examples in our lives of times when we find ourselves on the slippery slope of situation, only to realize we have no choice but to forge ahead because we are fully committed. 

The Promise Culture in your leadership, organization, home life, and in your own mind, allows you to have the stability and foundational belief system that gets you through it, even if that means bumps, bruises, and some pain are inevitable.

What are you fully committed to regardless of the challenge ahead? 

I can confirm from experience that every single person reading this blog is going through parallel challenges on a relatively equal slope that require a deeper look into resolve to keep going forward in 2021.

Your Promise Prompt: 

Share in the Comments one aspect of life where you are Fully Committed, there is no turning back, and that will most likely injure you, yet you’re going to get it done anyway.

You LIVE The Promise – so you’ll accomplish anything in front of you – and today’s challenges will shape the way you prepare for all future endeavors.

If you’ll excuse me, it’s time to get up and change that ice pack.

~ jason

Promise Institute Co-Founder * Virtual Keynote Speaker * Speaker Hall of Fame

Author of “The Promise To The One”

jasonhewlett.com