A client of mine recently started going back to the gym and signed up to work with a personal trainer. At the beginning of his first work-out session the well-built trainer asked him one simple question: “What’s your commitment level?”
My client paused and thought about the question for a moment. It’s an issue of return on investment, he realized – I have to decide what amount of effort I am willing to put in, and what kind of return I can hope to get from that amount of effort. If the answer isn’t what I want, I have to adjust my effort level or my desired return.
What if the next time you are interviewing a new hire in your company, you posed this question to them and asked them to fully explain their answer? This would help you save time by getting to the truth quick and qualifying the person by their reaction and answer to the question.
Have you ever had to have that tough conversation with your stock broker, the one where you have to ask them why you only earned 5% in a year when the S&P 500 earned 15%? I have, and the answer is usually designed to confuse you. Most of the time, your broker has a different commitment level than you, as well as different goals. Ask yourself the question about them – what is their commitment level to you and to your investments? The answer can help you determine whether it might be time to change your investment strategy – or your stock broker.
“What’s my commitment level?” is also a great question to ask ourselves. By asking ourselves this question often we can achieve a clear picture of our goals and expectations. What is our niche, and what are we bringing to the table? Maybe we are not putting in our time where it is most productive. Once we answer this question, we will be able to determine how to get the best possible return on our investment. After all, how can we change our situation and improve it for the better without understanding what we want to put into it and what we hope to get out of it?
The next time you aren’t real sure where you are going in life, ask yourself about your commitment level and it will help you find the right path.
Have a great weekend,
Ro