5.14 Martina Navratilova: Are You Committed or Interested?

“The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.” - Martina Navratilova

Are you interested or committed?

When you are interested in something, you only do it when it’s easy or convenient. When you are committed, you do what it takes whenever it takes it, no matter how you feel, and you accept no excuses, only results.

Martina Navratilova was one of the most dominant players in the history of the sport. She was known for her athleticism and aggressiveness, something she grew through her commitment to finding ways to get better, including training for hours.

She once said, “The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed,” and she demonstrated that commitment all the time.

She said her typical day included playing tennis for four hours, then either going to the track or playing two-on-two full-court basketball, and then lifting weights. When she lifted, her goal wasn’t to get stronger but to be as strong at the end of matches as she was at the beginning.

When asked, “What makes a champion tennis player?" she said, “Champions don’t quit until they get it right.”

If you want to be a champion at what you do, get committed and don’t quit. Being committed enough to do what you have to do, no matter how you feel, is 75% of the battle. Get that mindset, and you can achieve anything. Don’t have that mindset, and you will let your thoughts, feelings, and circumstances control your destiny.

Question of the Day: Do your actions show someone who is committed or just interested?