The Power of Habit and Commitment

By: Ed Hirsch

I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me,
And I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done,
And after a few lessons I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of all great men.
And, alas, of all failures as well.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine.
Plus, the intelligence of a man.
You may run me for profit, or run me for ruin;
It makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me
And I will put the world at your feet.
Be easy with me, and I will destroy you.
Who am I?
I am HABIT!

It makes your knees shake, it makes your stomach tight, it makes you calm with relief.
It can determine the way you feel and the way you act.
It's what creates business relationships and also what can destroy them.
It's something we succeed at one minute and fail at the next.
It distinguishes doers from dreamers, champions from wanna-be's.
It sorts our confusion, clarifies the mysterious and has the ability to dramatically impact your business.
It can alter the quality of your life, the extent of your achievements, and the measure of your success.
It has the power to create what is possible.
It's called commitment!