The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months

Chapter 19

12 Week Commitments

This is an email I received from my friend Mick White.

Today is my 36th birthday. This has been on my heart for a while. It’s time to share.

Nearly two years ago (Gregorian Calendar, not 12 Week Year Calendar), we went through the 12 Week Year training. A lot has happened in those two years, personally and professionally. I want to share a story about how the 12 Week Year impacted me personally, as I know you hear all the time about the great things it’s doing in our business.

In the afternoon of the second day of the workshop, you walked us through the concept of commitments, and you stated the four keys to successful commitments: 1. Burning desire; 2. Clear actions; 3. Count the costs; and 4. Act on commitments, not feelings. As I thought about what I was going to truly commit to doing (like Noah going after the mosquitoes), I wanted a true commitment that would change my life. I remember writing down my commitment and thinking to myself, “I hope nobody else sees this . . . and I certainly hope Brian doesn’t call on me to share my commitments.”

You see, I wrote down that I was going to call my Mom every day Monday through Friday. It seems simple, doesn’t it?

My Mom and I had a beautiful relationship. She was my biggest cheerleader. I was her rock. There was no woman like my mother. From September 30, 2009, to June 11, 2011, I called my mom every day, Monday through Friday (we took the weekends off). It wasn’t always easy to find the time during ...