Structure and Commitment

Here it is Sunday evening and time for me to write another blog. I have been writing my blog posts every Sunday since May 6, 2018. I have not missed one - 180 blogs today.

I am physically exhausted tonight because I spent most of the day, along with my husband, painting the molding and doors in our master bedroom. I am not a big fan of painting, and the last time I did it, I vowed never to do it again, but here we were, sanding, washing walls, taping, and painting the bedroom to match the new floor that we had installed Wednesday. Whenever you start a remodeling project, you have to expect that it will be twice as much work as you thought, and it will always lead to more projects as things snowball from one issue to the next.

So tonight, after cleaning up all the painting supplies, the last thing that I felt like doing was to start writing a blog. My self-imposed blog deadline is midnight, Sunday, and it is after nine o’clock now. It would be so much more fun to grab a snack, stretch out on the couch, and watch a movie. Maybe I could skip a week.  

Why do I feel as if I have to write every week? 

The answer for me is structure and commitment.

Whenever you decide to do something important to you, it requires structure in your schedule to create time to do it. That simple fact is the reason that so many of our goals go unaccomplished. We never feel as if we have enough time. Part of the goal-setting exercise that I do with my clients requires them to sit down every Sunday evening or Monday morning and plan out their week — structuring their schedule. Planning small steps towards your goals and scheduling time to accomplish those steps is vital to achieving any goal. We set priorities and break goals into small grouped tasks that help us stay in the zone. For example, I set aside time Sunday afternoon or evening to write my blog and upload it to my website. I carve out that time each week. Monday is podcast day, where I write, record, and edit podcasts. When I outline my week, these things must be accounted for, along with my work, coaching, and most importantly, self-care and family time. If I don’t commit to structuring my week, I will neglect myself and my goals.

Once you have your goals in mind and your structured schedule, you need the commitment to follow through. So many of us are great at planning and writing lists, even getting things on our calendar, but when it comes to the actual follow-through, we drop the ball. Commitment to yourself requires that you honor your hopes and dreams. Treat yourself as your priority, committing to your physical, emotional, and mental needs. There will be many days that you do not feel like following your schedule. You will want to do anything but your work. Creating the life that you ultimately want requires putting in the work and sticking to the plan. This evening, when I was tired and wanted to watch a movie, I had to commit to my blog because my goal is to become a better writer and because I want to help my fellow veterinary professionals feel better and do better.  

Writing this blog is part of that goal.

Now that it is done, I can get some rest.

Dr. Julie Cappel 

 “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes… but no plans.” – Peter F. Drucker