Rewriting the Rules of Commitment (and Still Getting Sh*t Done). How to honour your goals without ghosting your joy.

By Tricia Scott.

I used to think "discipline" meant waking up at 5 am, choking down a green smoothie that tasted like pond water (have you tried spirulina? It's like swamp juice had a baby with regret), and responding to emails in military fashion before 9 am because apparently, that's how you prove you're the most committed human on the planet.

It did not go well.

I fell at the first, second, and third hurdle. Hard. There may have been tears, and there was definitely a kitchen bin full of green pond powder.

After multiple failed attempts, I realised something. It wasn't discipline I was struggling with; it was the pressure to become someone else to 'prove' I was committed. 

And here's the kicker: I am committed. Fiercely. Loudly. Passionately. But I had to learn how to commit to myself in a way that didn't require cancelling every other part of who I am.

And I think that's where so many of us get tripped up.

We think commitment means setting fire to the rest of our lives in the name of one big dream. That unless we're going full Spartan warrior and sacrificing our sanity on the altar of "success," we must not really care enough.

That's not commitment. That's hustle culture talking. And it's rubbish at best and toxic at worst.

Let's talk boundaries (a.k.a. sanity savers).

Commitment doesn't have to mean obsession. It doesn't have to mean being "on" all the time. You don't have to become a productivity fembot who eats quinoa and answers Slack messages before sunrise.

What if commitment just means making a plan you actually like and finding a way to stick to it lovingly?

Here's a recent example of how I do this very thing.

I've started calling Tuesdays my "desk day." It's the day I commit to deep work, admin, and all those delicious desk-based projects that used to make me want to lie on the floor toddler style and scream.

But now? I turn it into a vibe.

I wear my cosiest hoodie. I throw my hair into a messy bun. I stop for my favourite coffee on the way to the office like it's a date with myself. I work in two-hour time slots with music or a podcast I love. I break for little walks, snacks, or a quick chat with a friend or mentor.

Before I know it? The work is done.

I'm more productive than I've ever been. Not because I'm pushing harder but because I've built a ritual that actually feels good. I'm not forcing discipline; I'm inviting it.

Adopting this mindset, I've learned that you don't have to leap into a pit of fire yelling, "I SHALL DO NOTHING ELSE EVER AGAIN EXCEPT THIS ONE THING UNTIL I PERISH!

Please don't. Trust me, it's exhausting. And dramatic. And frankly, it's unnecessary (unless you're auditioning for a Greek tragedy, in which case, carry on).

Instead, give your commitment boundaries. Give it structure. A little love note that says: You matter. And so do all the other parts of my life, so here's where you fit in.

Discipline doesn't have to come with shame, guilt, or emotional self-flogging every time you dare to rest because discipline isn't punishment. It's care.

It's brushing your teeth even when you're shattered. It's turning up for your business because you promised yourself you would. It's honouring your time like it's actually worth something because it is.

You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to get it right every day. You're allowed to recommit. You can be a glorious, chaotic work-in-progress who still shows up anyway.

You don't need to hustle your life into oblivion.

You just need boundaries + belief + a bit of a plan.

You also need a reminder that you're not a robot and have the audacity to believe that showing up consistently-ish is enough alongside a calendar, a commitment, and a well-timed "Not today."

So, if you've been waiting for the perfect moment to commit?

This is it.

Not to everything. Not to burnout. But to yourself 

To the version of you who knows what she wants and is ready to show up for it in a way that feels good, not punishing.

Start small.

Start scrappy.

Start anyway.

Because maybe the way we become the kind of person who did the thing? It is simply by becoming the kind of person who does the thing.

And that, my love, is more than enough.

I believe in you (always).

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 Tricia Scott is a passionate startup business mentor and the Founder and Editor of The Female CEO - Create Evolve Overcome, a platform and digital magazine holding the space to showcase female entrepreneurs from all over the world. 

The Female CEO is gaining global recognition daily and Tricia is able to bring her own level of expertise as a start-up mentor and multi-company director to her very exclusive table along with her team of brilliant Guest Editors and Contributors. You'll usually find her with her MacBook in one hand and a coffee or a glass of something fizzy in the other. Reach out anytime!