The Importance of Commitment: From Someone Who Just Quit Their Job

Matthew Easterwood
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, Young Professionals Council 

New year, new you, boo! A new year is the perfect time to make change in your life. For me, it happens to mean a new job. I recently quit my job of six years to start a whole new career at an entirely different organization, so who am I to talk about commitment? Well, commitment requires that you be honest with yourself. If you can’t be honest with yourself, how in the world are you going to be honest with anyone else? Can I get an “Amen!” up in here?! 


New you, new goals. You can’t commit to something without first setting goals. Everyone can look at their lives and think “I really want to change XYZ.” Change can be hard, though, so it’s best to start small and take it one day at a time. You want to change your diet? Stop buying those Little Debbie dessert cakes for your lunches (R.I.P. Little Debbie) and replace them with a bag of fruit or veggies before you go full-on Keto. You want to exercise more? Start with a short home workout routine a couple days a week before you begin a monthly subscription at a gym. You want to live fancy and party in France? You better work, sis! And then save five or ten dollars a week before opening up your third line of credit. 


New goals, new challenges. If you cheat, if you slip up, if you treat yo’self a little too much, don’t beat yourself down – just be honest with yourself and hold yourself accountable. Admit that you did something wrong, and then admit that it’s OK to be wrong and imperfect. After a short while, this new you will learn to do what you say you will do. 


There is a lot of power in that – doing what you say you will do. You become more reliable, more trustworthy, and more durable. You start to live a life of less wanting and wishing and more DOING. I know it can be scary to make a change, though I can tell you that you have the most courage within the first 30 seconds of thinking about doing something. 29...28...27....

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