Why and how we make commitments? What do we do to keep them alive? And how long do we keep going to keep up with them and achieve our end goal?

The last two weeks, after coming through a couple of examples of success that took forever, these questions hovered in my mind. Specially because, I got asked by 3 different, unrelated people about what makes me keep on writing this blog every week. And I searched within to find those answers.

The first example that I came across was of Jonathan Larson, whose life is captured well in last year’s acclaimed movie ‘Tick, Tick, Boom!’. As I watched the movie and then read about him (hadn’t paid much attention to the Broadway scene earlier), I came to appreciate the journey he went through in those 8-10 years before success beget him.

The second example was of Robert Pirsig, whose book ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’ is one of my absolute favorites. Generally browsing about authors, I chanced upon his story, which I hadn’t read till date. And it’s fascinating. How the book was rejected more than a hundred times before it became the cult success we see it as today.

These writers, and others of their ilk as well as those who continue to amaze us with their perseverance in other fields, tell us one thing. About how important is commitment to one’s dream/goal/cause and if we must resolve one thing that we should absolutely not give up on, it has to be commitment.

To ourselves. To our dream/goal/cause. To the process we are following to get there. And to the people around us who believe in what we are doing and continue to support us.

Even if it is as small a thing as being healthy. Or as big as building a happy family. Or a successful career.

When I reflected and juxtaposed this with my writing journey over the last two and a half years, I realized that while I haven’t reached even within striking distance of my stated goal of writing a book (hopefully books), there’s so much more for me to do. And how I shouldn’t be swayed away or disappointed by the time I have already put in but rather view it as a practice run.

In fact, this blog as an expression of my thoughts is a vital cog in my writing journey. Something, that’s only helping me become better prepared to do what I intend to do and in the process, helping me try so many things.

Yes, I should find more time do write my first book. Yes, I need to start putting in some serious thoughts to shape up the unfinished plots and figure out the overall storyline. And yes, I must do this as quickly as I can.

But even while I get things in order to do all of these and perhaps more, I mustn’t loose track and wait for the ideal time. I should rather continue practicing.

For only when we continue in our quests and keep the flame alive, is when we can hope to find the treasure we are seeking…