When the Going gets Tough, the Tough get Going….

A few days ago, I had a reunion with a few school friends. We met over drinks one pleasant evening. After an hour or so, I wanted to visit the restroom and stood up, a friend asked me where I was going. I replied - "When the going gets tough, the tough get going and I'm going" …. "to the rest room", I added in a lower tone and we all burst out laughing.

When I returned to the table, I reiterated the saying - "When going gets tough, the tough get going", and asked for votes on who believed in which interpretation, i.e.,  

Interpretation 1: Whoever said it, probably meant that the people who are resilient and persistent keep on their tasks even when the  circumstances are not very easy and encouraging.

Interpretation 2: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going, I'm going!".

Surprisingly, the group was divided and 80% voted for the latter…. My vote went to the former definition and I was expecting majority to vote the same way.

When I asked the 80% to explain their choice, they said - "when you have tried enough and know you cannot win in the current circumstances, you need to move on…". 

What they were trying to tell me was that there is no point to die fighting, that we have limited capabilities and that survival is more important than martyrdom. They also said, move on while you are ahead…

What do you believe in?

Commitment!

A few years ago, I was conducting an Induction program for a group of new Software Engineers in my company. I was explaining the characteristics that are required of them to grow in the organization. 2 hours into the session, I came to a point on my presentation --- "Commitment". I explained to the trainees, how important commitment is and that they should be committed to the tasks assigned unconditionally till it is done. I also mentioned that their performance appraisal will depend on the levels of commitment demonstrated.....

One of the trainees asked me, "Sir, could you please explain Commitment because I want to know what is expected of me?"

I explained, I see commitment as Devotion to a cause. Commitment is keeping at a task, however hard it may be, and not giving up till is done. Staying committed to the cause is perseverance!. The quality of perseverance is directly proportional to the levels of commitment in an individual.

Here's an example: A 100 meter sprint athlete sets a goal to participate in the next Olympics which is 4 years away. This athlete is training to better the current world record. He trains for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week for 4 years, with a single purpose --- To win a Gold Medal in the next Olympics. It is his only chance as he will be too old for the next Olympics. So, the athlete trains to achieve his goal......

Let us look at some data on the athlete's training time......

Number of hours per day

12 hours

Number of days per week

6 days

Number of weeks per year

52 weeks

Number of years to the Olympics

4 years

100 meters Olympic Record to beat

9.69 seconds

Total Time spent on training

12 hours x 6 days x 52 weeks x 4 years 

 equals 14,976 hours 

equals 898,560 minutes 

equals 53,913,600 seconds 

So the Athlete trains for 53,913,600 seconds for a 100 meter race, that ends in 9.69 seconds! Amazing isn't it?

What are the chances that this athlete will win? In fact, there is very very high chance that this athlete will fail to even qualify, but still, the athlete persists.... and never gives up.

A normal individual, with low levels of commitment will ask, isn't it too much to give for a race that ends in under 10 seconds? The committed athlete will go for it, because his goal is to win the Olympic Gold Medal....

This is what I call commitment!