November Read/2

Title: Commit To Win: How To Harness the Four Elements of Commitment to Reach Your Goals

Author: Reeder, Heidi, PhD

Call Number: 158.1 R327C 2014

Subjects: Commitment (psychology); Goal (psychology); Motivation (psychology)

Number of Pages: 243

ISBN:

9781594631337

Book Description from amazon.com:

            What do you need besides motivation and willpower?

In Commit to Win, Heidi Reeder, PhD, unpacks over forty years of research by psychologists and economists to show that the key to reaching any goal, whether it’s to hit the gym more often or to finally quit that dead-end job, isn’t motivation, willpower, or determination. It’s commitment. Busting the myths most of us believe about commitment, Reeder shows that it all comes down to four variables:

• Treasures: the benefits we get from working toward a goal,
• Troubles: the difficulties we have to deal with,
• Contributions: the time, money, and effort we invest, and
• Choices: the number of good alternatives we have.

Together, these variables make up a formula that not only measures how committed we are, but also shows which factors we can change to get our commitment level in sync with what we want to do. Packed with practical examples and action plans for a variety of situations, Commit to Win will allow readers to stop wishing for things to be different and instead make practical changes that will naturally empower them to reach their goals. It will appeal to readers of Succeed and The Willpower Instinct.

from quotediary

My Read:

            Before I turned the pages, I looked up at the dictionary to see what commitment means. It is explained as followed: the experience of being psychologically attached to something and intending to stay with it.

            Helpful tips from the book:

-There are two sides of commitment: dedication àWant to; constraintàHave to-page 7

-Commitment is best understood as a matter of degree-page 5

-Commitment is actually the outcome of everyday mental decisions and actions-page 16

-Commitment is not about others; it’s about you-page 24

-The real benefit of determining what deserves your commitment is a life of greater purpose and meaning-page 25

-Four elements of commitment in this book are: treasures (rewarding and fulfilling), troubles (what’s in the way), contributions, and choices

-Formula of how to measure commitment: treasures-troubles + contributions-choices=> level of commitment

-One small thing you can do at the start of the day or the beginning of the project is get into an optimistic frame of mind. A positive baseline mood gives you a bit of a buffer against the inevitable hardships, and a greater appreciation for the things you treasure-page 98

-There is a difference between facts and our interpretation of the facts-page 99

-If you want others to commit, begin by asking for small contributions-page 127

-We value things more when we have a hand in their creation-page 131

            At the beginning of reading this book I found out that this is not a book for me; I love what I do. The book has been sitting on the couch for days until I “found” it again. This time my bias was gone and I was able to finish the book in no time.

 “Commitment is innate and instinctual. You already have the innate tools to experience high levels of commitment in the key area of your life.”-page 7 Those words from the book truly reflect what I have experienced in my life though I didn’t have the wisdom to put them into well-described words. No one taught me or asked me to work hard at the areas I found intriguing and inspiring; commitment just came very naturally to me.

            “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.’-quoted from Confucius

            Did you find your playground? Check out the quote you will know the answer.