Levels of Commitment

There are three levels of commitment: discipline, desire, and devotion.

Each has a cost.
Each has a reward.
Each brings us to the next frontier of mastery.

Discipline is filled with words like “I have to” and “I got to.”

It’s making promises to oneself and keeping them, no matter what. When we are at the gym and we tell ourselves we will do four more exercises or three more reps… discipline is completing exactly four more exercises or three more reps. It’s doing what we might not want to do, yet with a passion and veracity as if we love it. The cost of discipline is energy, time, and cheap thrills such as partying, playing around, and procrastinating. The reward is growth, as well as relationship-building with like-minded go-getters.

I started lifting weights when I was 15 years old. I vividly remember how heavy barbells felt, how difficult it was to do one pull-up, and how exhausted I was within minutes. When I looked in the mirror, day after day, I could barely notice a difference... Months later, seemingly without any glaring “fireworks moment,” I finished a workout while thinking about the second one I would do later that day. The daily and weekly discipline of showing up led to progress. Progress led to results. Results led to desire.

Once a certain level of discipline is carried out, we cross a magical bridge into desire. Desire shows up as a lasting hunger, a burning fire within us toward someone or something. It’s typically tied to an issue, trauma, or problem from our past we are still aiming to solve today. It’s filled with words like "I want to" and "I get to." With it, we go above and beyond. The costs of desire are other paths, other projects, and other possible adventures. Sacrifice is a necessary component at this frontier. The reward of desire is competence, often mixed with earned accolades, in a given field of expertise.

By my junior season in high school, within the final chapters of my teenage years, I was objectively strong compared to others my age. Putting on over 30 pounds in three years, I utilized my brawn and inner fire to push limits. I failed to achieve personal bests in the weight room (~Winners lose more than losers lose~); however, I was back at it the next day, with even more gumption and gusto. Along the way, I received 1st Team All-State honors and North Jersey Player of the Year in lacrosse. My belief turned into a knowing. I knew I should. I knew I would. I knew I could become a leader like those I admire and like the future me I dreamed about. When belief combines with experience + years of dedication to a mission, desire develops into devotion.

Devotion is love, loyalty, and enthusiasm for an activity, cause, or person. It’s not just physical. It’s not just mental, either. It demands spiritual buy-in. Life will ask you, “How bad do you want it? What price are you willing to pay for it? Why does it matter to you so much?” The devoted fully commit. After all, true transformation requires full immersion. Every path we pledge to involves the rejection of another. Devotion is filled with phrases like “all in” and “whatever it takes.” At this frontier, firm boundaries are vital. It’s not dipping one’s toe in the water; it’s diving deep into an endeavor or a relationship that is personally meaningful… sink or swim. The cost of devotion is normality, thousands of short-term satisfactions. The rewards of devotion are visceral fulfillment, instincts of flourishing, and inspiration for others.

Two years into my professional lacrosse career and a job on Wall Street, I was waking up in tears. A small still voice became a rumbling, questioning, provoking scream within. Seemingly random aches and pains started to manifest themselves in my body. Rumination clouded my mind. Doubt split my spirit. So, instead of cramming 90-minute workouts in before dawn and a full day of work, I walked away from it all — the job, the city, the normal I had become accustomed to. Like a shark that does not develop to its full size in a tank or like a tree that does not grow to its potential in shade, I moved toward my true essence — inside sport, training, performance, psychology, and coaching. A decade later, I honestly exclaim today: my desire for performance training and coaching, which started with daily discipline at 15 years old, has blossomed into devotion.

If discipline is counted in months and desire is counted in years, devotion is tallied in decades.

Millions have discipline. Thousands display desire. Hundreds embody devotion.

Discipline leads to a job well done. Desire leads to a career well carried out. Devotion leads to a calling well answered. Most of our lives could be summarized in one line: finding out what something costs and being willing eager to pay its price.

What price are you willing to pay?

Start with what you have to do; 

evolve to what you get to do; 

then, do whatever it takes.

The road to mastery is paved through discipline, desire, and devotion.

"Find what you would die for and devote your life to it."

— MG