Commitment Vs Addiction

Are you committed, or are you addicted?

I am addicted to social media. Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. Google Plus. I can't get enough. I love the sharing and the interaction. I don't need to try to keep up with my network. I am compelled to. I need to try to unplug, because social media sucks me in. It is an addiction, an obsession. It's never a chore or an obligation. I am driven to engage...and I just can't stop!

I am committed to cleaning out my cats' litter boxes. I do not enjoy this activity. I love my cats but I, by no stretch of the imagination, get the remotest amount of pleasure from cleaning up their excrement. Why do I do it? Because it needs done. Because I have to do it. It is an obligation, something I have no desire to do but at the same time I know is necessary to do. I do it, but it's a hassle.

Do you see the difference between committment and addiction? Addiction is not something you have to be persuaded to do. It is your default mode to do that thing because you have an internal passion for it. It comes naturally. You have to summon self-discipline in order to stop. Commitment is quite the opposite. It's something that you are not naturally inclined to do, but you force yourself to do it because you know it's important. You have to summon self-discipline, in this case, to get going.

Oftentimes, commitment is given a positive connotation whereas addiction is associated with something negative. I don't think this always has to be the case. The important thing is what the object of your commitement or addiction is. What are you committed to? What are you addicted to? That is the question.

Now, think about your mission. Think about your dreams and your goals. How are you compelled to fulfill your purpose? Do you have to wake up every morning, look yourself in the mirror, and give yourself a speech? Or, is the speech inside you? Are you intrinsically motivated to do what you do? Do you make plans on the basis of what has to be done? Or, do you make plans on the basis of what you are driven to do? Are you ruled by obligation or by obsession? Does your mission come naturally?

Sometimes, you've got to talk yourself into keeping the fight going. But, wouldn't it be a whole lot easier if you didn't have to give yourself the, "Go get 'em, Tiger" speech? Wouldn't be easier if you did what you did simply because you were compelled to? Because you knew no other way? Because it is who you are?

Give addiction a try. Be obsessed with your mission. Consumed by it. Stop trying so hard and, instead, fall in love with your purpose.