As someone who has organized a lot of events in her life, I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that commitment counts. There is no worse feeling than putting a ton of effort into a project only to have other people not follow through on their commitments and mess everything up. Unfortunately, this happens a lot in life because people are forgetful and can be unreliable. Whether it be a group project, a team competition, or a co-hosted event/gathering, many of us have experienced the frustration that occurs when someone else fails to commit.
In our high school, we ask the students to commit to several activities. At the beginning of each year, we always have a few students who get a little too eager and end up overcommitting. We don’t prevent them from doing this because some of them can handle a lot of activities, and those who can’t learn an important life lesson early. The problem occurs when some students are very committed to a group activity and others are not as committed. With team sports, clubs, and committees, things can go wrong very quickly when one or more students do not follow through on their commitments. We see examples of this all the time. It’s hard to explain to a child that something is not going to happen because his friend did not do his part.
One place in which this happens a lot is speech and debate. Many newcomers to the activity are timid and choose to perform in a partner piece to help with the nerves. I almost always advise new competitors against doing this. What frequently occurs is two brand new students sign up to do a partner piece with someone they just met and have no idea if they can work with that person. Sometimes this can work out, but often we see that the two do not work well together in a scene, or that one person is putting in way more effort than the other person. Partner pieces can be fantastic when both parties are committed to working hard and practicing. Many times as a judge of speech and debate, I find it obvious that one partner is way more invested than the other. This does not make a good piece.
In team sports, students run the risk of not being able to compete if not enough players show up for the game. After practicing multiple nights a week and buying a uniform for the team, it is scary to think that a few teammates not fully committing can keep the entire team from playing. To an outside perspective, these examples might not seem like a big deal, but to the students who have worked incredibly hard to prepare for competitions, it is huge. Looking at the side of the less committed student, every time that person fails to follow through, he is making an impression on his peers. After a few instances of not committing, that student could get a reputation that will be hard to get rid of.
In life, people don’t reward those who cannot commit. In a job, those people get passed up for promotions. In a relationship, eventually those people get dumped. In a friendship, a lack of commitment can weaken the bond between friends. On the other hand, committing can bring great things into your life. Committing to a job shows your company that you are loyal, and typically that loyalty is rewarded. Committing in your personal life helps create strong bonds with the people around you. There are so many cases in which committing to something strengthens the viewpoint that others have of you. There is so much good that occurs when you commit to something fully. Start making choices that demonstrate commitment. Show up to that choir competition, make long term plans with a friend or family member, get a job that you plan to have for a while. These actions will help you learn to commit and set you up for future success.
Bria