What is Your Commitment to 2018?

I recently finished reading Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. It is a dynamic book, perhaps one of the best I have ever read. However, I will warn you now. If you do not want to be challenged or feel uncomfortable, stick to the smutty romance novels.

Since reading the book, I have become a major Jocko fan. Jocko commits to waking up at 0430 hours everyday. He has created a cult following on Twitter, tweeting out a picture of his wrist watch everyday with the time. Without fail, he is up everyday at 0430. He usually follows up the tweet with something he accomplished in the early hours.

I decided to follow suit and match the challenge of getting up everyday at 0430. I was up the other day...and by the time it was ready for me to get ready for the work day, I realized something: I have been committed to getting up everyday at 0430...but I was NOT accomplishing anything.

I knew if I was going to commit to getting up early everyday, I needed to commit to something equally important: getting better everyday. Life is short. And hard. And fierce. Realizing your own full potential demands we commit to maximizing our efforts every day. We are all blessed with 1440 minutes each day in order to make it happen, and get after it.

As we approach the holiday break, I challenge you with this: what is your commitment for 2018? Where will you get better? How will you get better? What is your plan to make your commitment happen? One of my favorite Abraham Lincoln quotes on planning states that if he had 6 hours to cut down a tree, he would spend the first four hours developing a plan. What is your plan to cut down your tree in 2018?

Commitments School Leaders Can Make to Get Better:

-Develop an exercise plan

-Journal

-Commit to reading at least one leadership book a month

-Write a blog

-Attend a conference. (And be truly present)

-Research best schools in the world; apply learned principles in your own world

-Commit to quiet time everyday

-Find a mentor

-Mentor someone

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”- Vince Lombardi