Build Your Opportunities Through Commitment

by Carolyn Edlund

Your level of commitment to professionalism defines you as an artist, and it has a ripple effect on every part of your business.

It’s human nature. Things happen. Life can be hard. And second chances often exist. But the bottom line, in my opinion, is that there are an awful lot of people out there who simply are not organized or professional enough to follow through.

This is where you have an enormous opportunity. When you are rock-solid committed to building your business, when you “show up” because it’s that important to you, when integrity is a core concept of your work ethic, you have a distinct advantage.

There are people you can count on. You know who they are. And there are others who either don’t have the same priorities or just aren’t dependable. Surround yourself with the people who do what they say. Commit yourself to a level of professionalism in everything connected with your business as an artist. Set your bar to a high level and live there.

It’s often easy to spot the type of people you want to connect with. They are well-respected; they are often very successful. Build your network on this solid ground. Embrace the same type of commitment that they have, and you will be part of their group. This will inspire you to reach for even more excellence, because you have peers who encourage you and to whom you are accountable.

Build your business out from there. Customer service, responsiveness and communication are key to succeeding, in any business, and when you take those activities to a high level, people respond. When you rise above the ordinary, you present yourself with more opportunities than ever.

More often than not, even the most impressive results come from plenty of plain old, ordinary hard work. It’s not extraordinary talent that distinguishes achievers, but rather an extraordinary level of commitment to getting the work done. ~Ralph Marston

 

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