Mojo Monday: Commitment - A Way to Build Hardiness

This week on Mojo Monday, Carly talks about commitment - what it really means, and why it matters more than motivation. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Hey folks. Before the podcast, a quick announcement for me.
I'm running a special event called The Hardiness Effect. It's
a full day workshop plus six week app based program
designed to literally rewy your body and brand to thrive
under pressure, whilst helping you optimize your health and live longer. Now,

(00:29):
this isn't fluffy self help bullship. This is based on
my published research. The same intervention we tested in a
recent randomized control trial. The results on average people saw
a twenty seven percent improvement in mood, a twenty six
percent reduction in perceived stress, and a twenty six percent
jump in gratitude. On top of that, we also measured

(00:52):
enhanced cognitive function. So this isn't theory. It works. Here's
what you'll get on the day. You learn how to
use hormetic stress things like exercise, heat, code, light and
nature to turn your body into a resilience building AIDS
defying machine. You'll also master the four pillars of psychological hardiness.

(01:14):
You'll also get clarity on how to reclaim your energy
you're focusing your health. You'll connect with like minded people
who are also on this journey, and you'll get a
signed copy of my leader's book, the hardiness effect. Then
over the six week program, you'll have access to my
Hardiness app that has workouts, breathing and meditation sessions, educational videos,

(01:37):
and a ritual board to help you build healthy habits.
It will keep you accountable, it will give you a structure,
help you connect with others in the workshop, and help
hardwire these habits into your life. So if you're serious
about showing up as your best self, whether it's at work,
at home, and for the people who matter most, then
this workshop and program is for you. So early bird

(02:00):
racing is still in effect and spaces are limited. So
if this resonates with you, jump onto my website www
dot Paul Taylor dot biz and book your plus. There
a night on with the podcast.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Everyone's Carli Taylor here for this week's Mojo Monday. I'm
going to talk about commitment today. So we often think
about resilience as bouncing back when life knocks us down,
but if you look at Paul's research on heartiness, it
shows that resilience is so much more than that. It's
a way of orientating yourself to life. So one of

(02:35):
the core elements of this is around commitment, the decision
to fully engage with what matters, even when it's hard,
even when it's dull as dishwater, even when every part
of you just wants to check out. So commitment doesn't
always look or feel exciting. In fact, often it looks

(02:56):
really boring. It's the grind, it's the repetition. It's doing
the same thing day after day, when no one's clapping,
no one's cheering, and sometimes nobody even notices. Because you
think about an athlete at the top of their game.
We see the highlight reels and the you know, the
metals and the broken records and the smiling faces. But

(03:18):
what we don't see is the thousands of hours in
the gym, the early mornings, the sore muscles, and the
endless drills. And this is where psychologist Angela Duckworth puts
it beautifully.

Speaker 3 (03:31):
I saw this quote the other day.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
She says, enthusiasm is common, endurance is rare.

Speaker 3 (03:39):
So how's your endurance?

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Because anyone can feel motivated at the start, anyone can
get excited by a new goal. But commitments is what
separates those who stick it out from those who give up,
or who procrastinate, or who get distracted from the task.

Speaker 3 (03:56):
And go down a rabbit hole.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Commitment is the endurance to keep going long after that
spark of motivation is burnt out. Paul often tells this
story from elite military training, and if you've seen any
polls talk, you will know what this is. It's a
Navy seal. It's called hell week. And the ones who

(04:19):
make it through aren't always the strongest or the fastest.
They're the ones who are the most committed, the ones
who lean into the grinds, who lean into the pain
and take it one small step at a time. They're
not looking for it to be easy, but they're showing
up anyway. And it's the same principle that applies to

(04:39):
all of us. We don't have to be elite soldiers
to know that life requires endurance. And of course, commitment
isn't just about the elite. I don't always like hearing
stories about elites because I'm not an elite.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
I'm just ordinary.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
And that's not a bad thing, because it's about the ordinary.
It's the parent who shows up every day to make
the lunches, to drive the kids around, to hold things
together even when they're completely exhausted, or it's the worker
who does what they set out to do even when
the job feels thankless. So it's you choosing to keep exercising,

(05:14):
to journal, to meditate, or do those little things that
aligned with your values even when they're not exciting. It's
about committing to the process of healing when you're sick.
So I'm not talking about grinding yourself into burnout. So
I just wanted to make that clear because that's not commitment.

(05:35):
True commitment is about setting things up so you can
consistently get the job done without running yourself into the ground.
And it's not about being loyal either to just one
domain of your life like work. Real commitment means showing
up across all areas that matter most. So if you've
got a big project coming up that demands your time,

(05:56):
you have to also commit to your energy levels, your
health by eating nutritious food, exercising, moving, not necessarily going
to the gym if you don't have time, but it
could be making sure that you're doing your movements, that
snacks in between meetings, ensuring you're hydrated, connecting with people.
So that's what Paul's research makes clear is people in

(06:20):
high commitment don't just endure stress, they engage with life.
They stay connected to the meaning. They don't back away
from the mundane or the tough stuff. They know that
life's richness is often found in the moments that don't
feel glamorous at all. So here's my invitation to you
this week. Pick one area of your life that really matters,

(06:44):
and instead of asking yourself, oh, do I feel like
doing it today, ask yourself what would commitment look like
right now. Maybe it's getting up and going for a
walk even when it's raining. Or maybe it's showing up
fully for your partner or your kids even when you're tired.
Maybe it's doing a boring project at work and doing

(07:05):
the prep for it that no one is ever going
to thank you for. So think of commitment as aligning
your actions with what is truly important to you over
and over again. It's about becoming the kinder person who
can be trusted by yourself and by others to show
up no matter what you do what you say you're
going to do. Motivation might light the fire, but it's

(07:29):
commitment that keeps it burning. Quite like that one, So
as you step into this week, remember Duckworth's words Enthusiasm
is common, endurance is rare, So choose to be committed,
choose endurance, and that's how you'll build a life that
you're really proud of. So have a great Monday, have
a great week, and I'll catch you next week.

Speaker 3 (07:50):
Seea Ey