"The achievement of your goal is assured the moment you commit yourself to it." Mack R. Douglas

Imagine a wedding planner 75% committed to planning your wedding, an author 65% committed to writing a great read, or a plumber only 90% committed to repairing your leak? Yikes! As a business and life coach I have noticed over the years that the clients who are most successful in creating the changes they want are the ones who commit 100%, and those who struggle have an aversion to or fear of commitment. Most often he/she reasons, "I like my freedom". Yet they have less freedom and happiness than those who commit. Commitment is a hot button for many, yet is the key to their dreams. It is not to be feared but embraced. When creating a high quality life, career, or business 100% is the only way to go. Here are five steps to make it easier to say 'yes' to what you want in a way that gets results.

Step 1- Be authentic- Being authentic reduces the need for self-discipline. When you make a commitment based on your values, passions, skills, and strengths work becomes play. You get into a place of flow. You are energized versus drained because you are doing what you love, doing what is important to you, and doing it in a way that comes naturally to you. Ask yourself, 'what are my values, passions, skills, and strengths.' Ask others the same question. Then ask, 'how can I best leverage them?' Then choose a goal you are willing to commit to 100%.

Step 2- Focus on the joy your pot of gold brings- What end result are you committing to? If you want to lose weight stop focusing on what you are giving up and focus on the end result you want. Experience how great you will feel to slip into your jeans, how good you will feel when you see photographs of yourself, and how confident you will feel in a bathing suit, etc. Hold your intention first thing in the morning, at bedtime, and when throughout the day. Allow no room for a pity party. Be pulled into action by the end results.

Step 3- Drop the excuses- Once you make a commitment drop all excuses. Ken Blanchard says, "There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results." There is no choice to procrastinate. Commitment requires action! What will your life, career, or business look like if you let go of the excuses and take daily action?

Step 4- Add a support structure- This is where clients resist. We love freedom. We have to get that structure holds our focus on what we have to do. It saves time, money, and provides more freedom long term. Create a plan to change habits and set daily disciplines that lead to your goal. Tony Robbins offers good advice, "Stay committed to your decisions; but stay flexible in your approach." Clear your plate. Make room to take action. Put a structure in place to keep you on track such as a daily checklist or pick up a Rewarding Daily Habits Chart at the author's website. Make shifts as needed along the way. Set up rewards to keep it fun. Add accountability by recruiting a buddy who wants to make a commitment then support each other weekly or hire your own personal coach.

Step 5- Give 100% instead of anything less- This means a daily commitment to excellence and focused action. Give all you have to give. Hit the pillow each night with a sense of fulfillment. Awake and follow thru with enthusiasm! Too often we go to bed feeling something is lacking when in fact nothing is lacking! We just are not taking the actions that bring fulfillment. Raise your standards to your very best daily by doing what will make you feel good about you. Does this mean working until you drop? NO! Rejuvenation is part of peak performance. Take time for extreme self care so you can be your very best. Work hard, play hard, pray hard.

Malcolm S. Forbes said, "One worthwhile task carried to a successful conclusion is worth half-a-hundred half-finished tasks." Begin to practice committing fully by starting with one goal you know you can reach and building a pattern of success. Keeping commitments to yourself will build your confidence that you can follow thru, you can make things happen, you can be unlimited, and you can create a high quality life…. starting now!

Copyright 2007, Beth A. Tabak, All rights reserved.

1. Change Five Lights Replace your five most frequently used lights or the bulbs in them with ones that have earned the Energy Star and you'll use less energy, which means less pollution from power plants. Your household will also be saving about 700 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

2. Heat and Cool Smartly About half the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. Changing air filters annually, having your system checked annually and useing a programmable thermostat are all easy things you can do. Just by using a programmable thermostat, you can save about 1,800 pounds of carbon dioxide a year and about $100 a year in energy costs.

3. Put the Freeze on Inefficient Appliances Get rid of old, energy inefficient appliances and replace with newer energy-efficient models. If you replace your current washing machine with a low-energy, low-water-use machine you will be able to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 440 pounds per year. For even more savings wash your laundry in warm or cold water, instead of hot. That will bring in a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of about 500 pounds per year.

4.Reduce and Recycle Reducing your garbage by 25 percent will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,000 pounds per year. Recycle aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic, cardboard and newspapers can reduce your home's carbon dioxide emissions by 850 pounds per year.

5.Don't Give Energy Away If you caulk and weather-strip around doors and windows to plug up leaks you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,700 pounds per year.

6.Take the Green Way Leave your car at home two days a week (walk, bike, take public transit or telecommute) and you can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds per year.

7.Buy Products That Have Earned the Energy Star Over 40 different kind of products now carry the Energy Star - the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency - including lighting, home electronics, heating and cooling equipment and appliances. With Energy Star products you can save 30 percent on your energy bills (about $450 a year).

8.Slow the Flow When purchasing a new vehicle, consider finding a car that gets more miles to the gallon than your current vehicle, and match the vehicle to your needs. The potential carbon dioxide reduction for a car that gets 32 miles per gallon is 5,600 pounds per year.

9. Make the Right Move If you spend hours on the road every day to get to work you could save some significant time and money by moving closer to work and reducing your commute. The carbon dioxide emissions you save are icing on the cake.

10.Be a Turnoff Turn off your TV, video player, stereo and computer when you aren't using them. Turn off your lights when you don't need them and you start saving within a minute or two. Prevent "phantom" energy losses by plugging these devices into a power strip and turning the power strip off when the devices are not in use.

11.Trim Your Load When you do drive, keep your car tuned up and its tires properly inflated to save on fuel costs as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions. A tune-up could boost your miles per gallon anywhere from four to 40 percent; a new air filter could get you 10 percent more miles per gallon. Take your roof rack off your car when you aren't using it for more savings.

12.Keep Your Water Heater Cozy For a water heater more than five years old, wrapping it in an insulating jacket will result in a 1,000 pounds per year reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120 degrees F and you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 550 pounds per year.