• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Heart - Head - Hands logo

  • About
    • Beth Godbee
    • Commitments
    • Offerings
    • Publications
  • Blog
    • Contemplative Practices
    • Emotional Literacies
    • Everyday Feminism
    • Higher Education
    • Interviews
    • Racial Justice
    • Recipes
    • Why Vegan?
  • Coaching
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

Commitment Statements: Questions and Answers Pointing Toward Action

Filed Under: Contemplative Practices, Everyday Feminism, Higher Education, Racial Justice By Beth Godbee February 28, 2022 Leave a Comment

Commitment statements are living documents: a way to clarify deep dedications and priorities and to make them actionable both in everyday life and for the long haul.

For several years now, I’ve been working with commitment statements as a way to better understand my own commitments and where I’m out of alignment with them—and, importantly, to realign and strive toward justice. This work has grown out of my collaborative research on “Making Commitments to Racial Justice Actionable.” And it’s been shaped by so many writer-teachers, especially BIPOC feminist and womanist educators and activists, including Gloria Anzaldúa, adrienne maree brown, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, bell hooks, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Audre Lorde, Mia Mingus, Elaine Richardson, Loretta Ross, Jacqueline Jones Royster, Layla F. Saad, and the Combahee River Collective. It’s also been shaped in relationship with and deep gratitude to Rasha Diab, Sarah Gettel, and Mel Meder.

This work has come together in the past few months through the workshops “Writing and Living out Commitment Statements” and small-group coaching this week (“Part II” to the workshops) as well as one-with-one coaching, emails, and conversations. I’m deeply grateful to the many people who are gifting me questions and insights into what we know and don’t know about commitments.

This image with sparks of light reads: “What’s guiding you? Writing and Living out Commitments. 2 workshop options: Wed. 12/29 at 1pm ET and Fri. 12/31 at 10am ET. Heart-Head-Hands.com.” Against a brown-black background, a hand holds a lit sparkler. This image shares folded paper in the shape of a leaf surrounded by the words: “Small-group commitment statement coaching. Part II. Wednesday, March 2nd 1:00-3:00pm ET (2 hours). Heart-Head-Hands.com. Email to get registered.”

In this blog post, as a step in this ongoing work with commitments, I want to share 10 questions that have been gifted to me, showing the sort of questions we have about commitment statements.

I’ll also frame why commitments matter and provide two initial answers in this post. I hope to share additional answers in future blog posts, Patreon Q&A newsletters, and commitment statement workshops and small-group coaching. If you’re interested in these future offerings (collaborative learning experiences), reach out for more information.

Why Commitment Statements?

Before sharing the 10 questions, I want to ground the conversation in the why—why I so value commitment statements.

Ideally, all our actions are guided by commitments. By deep dedications, priorities, and values that direct our lives. By what matters to us most and what gives us a sense of purpose. By what is in line with our integrity and sense of showing up and coming through for ourselves and others. By what roots and grounds us. By what separates the hell no from the strong yes.

Too often, however, we’re on autopilot. Or we’re conditioned into and repeating ways of being, doing, thinking, feeling, relating, and living that undercut professed beliefs. Or we’re stuck in a mode of critique, pushing against what we don’t want, but not clear about what we’re for.

The acts of writing, revising, and revisiting commitment statements, therefore, support living with greater intentionality. Here are some of the reasons to write commitment statements: 

  • To know the anchors or root systems (deep dedications) that drive decision-making
  • To reflect on what we want to change about our lives—and why
  • To disrupt easy-come, easy-go ways of doing “allyship”
  • To notice when and where we’re showing up and not showing up
  • To change ways of being, doing, and relating that aren’t aligned with our values
  • To know (really, really, know) what’s motivating us, including what we often hide from ourselves
  • To adopt an attitude of striving or “try-try again”—recognizing when we fail to act on commitments and not getting stuck there, but realigning and recommitting

The fact that we typically are conditioned not to know or live out commitments is part of what it means to live within systemic oppression and complicity with injustice. Together, anti-Blackness, white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, settler colonialism, interlocking oppressions, and attachment to the mythical norm obscure and block both the language of commitments and courageous action motivated by commitments.

Add to this how whiteness—the ideology, cultural practices, and normalization of these practices—promotes lack of accountability and lack of commitment. And heteropatriarchy and capitalism—again, the ideology, cultural practices, and normalization of these practices—disrupt a grounded sense of self. Instead, these structures feed practices of puffing up and shrinking, feelings of not-enough and too-much, and related hoarding and power abuse.

Within systemic oppression, we have an ongoing need to unlearn this conditioning against commitments. There is a need to ask again and again: What are my commitments? And why those commitments? Is this who I really want to be? What truths do I live by? What truths do I long to be known? How am I showing up for myself? For others? For which others? To whom am I accountable? How am I practicing—and not practicing—accountability? What am I for? And for all of these questions: WHY?

Commitments are a key to striving toward justice—social justice, racial justice, environmental justice. To interrupt oppression, the work begins with commitments, including the commitments to rehumanize ourselves, to seek accountability that supports committed living, and to love ourselves and each other so deeply that we act on longings for justice.

Within this context, is it any wonder that there are so many questions and confusions about commitments and commitment statements? Here are 10 places to begin.

10 Questions about Commitment Statements

  1. What is the difference between values and commitments?

  2. I don’t hear people talk about commitments as often as values, intentions, and goals. Why do you use the language of commitments?

  3. How do I move beyond the initial overwhelm from considering all these heavy questions? // How can I get started on own statement when feeling unsure?

  4. I really enjoyed reading The Combahee River Collective Statement.  How is a collective statement different from a personal statement?  The process, the focus, the possible “formulas”?

  5. For those who work at mission-driven institutions (universities, nonprofits, tech companies, etc.), it can be difficult to separate one’s own commitments from institutional missions. Any advice on how to disentangle these?

  6. Why write out commitments? Why not just say them to myself?

  7. Do commitments change over time?

  8. How can I best think about my commitments to myself in relation to my commitments to others? // I’ve been thinking about how I need to incorporate the commitments that I have to myself (to wellness, to self-trust, to following my own instincts, etc.). How can I go about including myself in my life commitments?

  9. One of the things that I appreciated about your workshop was the discussion of actions: that actions can highlight our values and that analyzing our actions might even illuminate where our values are out of synch with our daily lives. I’d be curious if you have anything more to say about why observing our actions can be a useful practice in creating commitment statements, or if you have any suggestions about how to observe them. For example, some actions, like “being a good listener / valuing listening” might be more difficult to “see” than other types of actions. So, I’m wondering if you have any tips for seeing those types of actions that might be more difficult.

  10. Where can I read or learn more about commitments?

This banner shows a mail icon and reads: "Subscribe to newsletter. Receive updates in your inbox."

Two Answers (for Now)

Though there is a LOT to dig into in these questions, let me share two answers for now. The first is why writing itself supports living out commitments, and the second is why commitments need to include commitments to ourselves.

1. Yes, Writing Supports Knowing and Living out Commitments.

Scholarship in writing, rhetoric, and literacy studies provides many answers to why writing matters. Writing supports us as humans in seeking to know ourselves, clarifying what we do and don’t value, setting intentions, communicating with others, and much more. When we write, we often not only witness internalized thoughts and feelings come alive on the page, but we also shape and revise this internalized dialogue. Many times, we have to write to make meaning. Writing itself helps us learn, including about ourselves and our commitments.

Additionally, writing helps us slow down and become more intentional about our ways of being, doing, thinking, feeling, relating, and living in the world. Contemplative writing is important for many reasons, including as a means to observe our emotions, change thought patterns, interrupt negative self-talk, evoke self-reflection, inspire creativity, and engage in problem-posing and problem-solving.

In addition to these many processual reasons for writing commitment statements (these and others!), there are also many ways the product—the statement itself—can be used for accountability. Ideally, commitments statements aren’t texts that we write and set aside, but drafts that we return to often and use to track our actions.

Returning to and revising these statements can provide the means to check in regularly: How am I living out my commitments? Am I really acting on what I say I value? Am I impeccable with my word, acting in ways aligned with what I’ve articulated? Does my life reflect these commitments? Are my commitments changing over time? What are these commitments calling me into and toward?

Without writing commitments in some form, then it’s easy for commitments to be ephemeral—essentially lacking commitment. Writing is a concrete step toward making commitments that last, that carry beyond a single moment, that call us into action.

2. Yes, Commitments Include Commitments to Self.

Since I understand commitments as our deepest dedications in life, I believe they absolutely encompass dedications to ourselves. Many times, we can betray our commitments when we aren’t honest about what we most care about and why. This includes when we proclaim commitments that are externally-oriented and not driven by intrinsic desires. The truer we are about our longings and willingness to translate values into commitments, the more we can avoid conflicts between showing up for ourselves and for others (where we can end up doing a lot of harm).

So, for the personal examples shared here—wellness, self-trust, and following instincts—I would ask questions to think about what underlies these desires. My starting place is often in question-asking, problem-posting, and inner-seeking. Notice if any of these resonate with you as places to reflect on commitments and what matters to you most:

  • What does wellness mean to you? Personal wellness? Collective wellness?
  • And what’s the opposite of wellness? What happens if wellness isn’t a priority?
  • How do self-trust and instincts help us make everyday decisions and live out commitments? What happens to commitments without self-trust and following instincts?
  • What interrupts self-trust? What blocks us from following instincts?
  • If we open to our instincts, where are they directing us? What are they asking us to notice, to be, to do, and to not do?
  • If we stayed with any one of these (wellness, self-trust, or following instincts) as a key commitment, what else would need to shift or change or fall away or be reimagined?
  • If wellness is a priority, then _______?
  • If self-trust is a priority, then _______?
  • If following instincts is a priority, then _____?

I’m betting you can already imagine other questions that spin off from these. My hope is that these point in a direction to get additional clarity about where, when, how, with whom, and why we put energy and attention. Interestingly, the examples shared here (wellness, self-trust, and following instincts) feel connected to a reason I so value commitment statements: to get to know what’s implicitly and explicitly driving actions and to make changes from there. The more we know our commitments, the more we can check in regularly: Are my instincts telling me that I’m out of alignment with my commitments? Or are they alerting me to commitments not articulated or even hidden from myself?

Related to these questions, I think about how emotions, like intuition, can signal to us what we care about most deeply and what commitments we need to act on: What enrages me such that rage itself is a catalyst? What do I love so deeply that love itself is a motivator?

Again, these questions ask us to know ourselves and what we’re for. This reflective work inherently involves breaking open narratives we tell about ourselves, each other, our communities, our values, our hopes, and our actions.

I hope this brainstorming supports staying with the questions. When new questions emerge, stay there. And I hope we can connect around these questions in future workshops, coaching, and connection.

—
This post is written by
Beth Godbee, Ph.D. for Heart-Head-Hands.com. Subscribe to the newsletter for additional resources and announcements.  

For related reading, check out “Writing a Commitment Statement” and “Breaking Commitments and Recommitting Through Mindful Reflection” as well as my current commitment statement.

 

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Pocket

Tagged with: accountability, antiracism, career discernment, coaching, commitments, community care, courage, emotional literacies, environmental justice, habits, healing, intentions, intuition, learning, practices, questions, racial justice, reflection, resolutions, self-care, social justice, systemic oppression, understanding injustice, wellness, writing

Support the Work

subscribe to posts:

Previous Post: « Journaling and Drawing Exercises for Times of Transition
Next Post: Microaggressions: Too Sanitized, Too Safe, and Too Small? »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About This Site

Embodied knowledge matters. So do commitments. And especially acting on commitments as part of everyday life, BIG and small. This website—a mix of blog posts and research writing, courses and offerings—shares ongoing efforts toward everyday living (feeling, thinking, and doing) for justice.

Subscribe via Patreon

This button from Patreon says “Become a Patron” in white font against a bright orange background.

Subscribe to Newsletter

featured offerings

This e-course announcement shows a yellow sunflower and blue sky. It includes a textbox with the following information: “E-COURSE AVAILABLE NOW! Career Discernment for Academics: Aligning Career with Commitments. Self-paced study, exercises, coaching, and more ...”

This ad reads: “Time to write! Writing Retreats. Learn more @ Heart-Head-Hands.com.” A white coffee mug and table appear in the foreground, with golden chairs and walls in the background.

This image shows writing tools (phone, keyboard, journal, pencil, and pen) along with the event information: “Online Writing Groups. Tuesday afternoons & Friday mornings. Come Write Together: Heart-Head-Hands.com.”

This image shows a scene of wrapped packages, a pine cone, and evergreen branches. A white text box shares the circular logo for Heart-Head-Hands: Everyday Living for Justice, and another text box reads: “gift cards available.”

Categories

  • Contemplative Practices (60)
  • Emotional Literacies (83)
  • Everyday Feminism (103)
  • Higher Education (50)
  • Interviews (9)
  • Racial Justice (62)
  • Recipes (22)
  • Why Vegan? (12)

Footer

bethgodbee

Writing retreats offer fuel for creative fires. If Writing retreats offer fuel for creative fires. If you'd like to feed your flames, consider an upcoming retreat.

Registration is open for the following dates:
Monday, June 5th
Thursday, June 29th
Monday, July 10th
Thursday, July 20th
Wednesday, July 26th
Monday, August 14th

Learn more and sign up here: https://heart-head-hands.com/product/writing-retreats/
--> link in bio

[Photo shows my first campfire of the summer with yellow-orange-red flames inside a fire pit -- against a dark blue-purple background.]

#writing #creative #fire #creativefire #writingretreats #writingretreat #writingcommunity #writingcoach
Last call for tomorrow's workshop on planning summ Last call for tomorrow's workshop on planning summer writing projects:
https://heart-head-hands.com/product/planning-summer-writing-projects-prioritizing-purpose-over-productivity/ —> link in bio. ✏️

I'm here if you'd like support with prioritizing writing this summer and releasing those habits (from self-doubt to overwhelm) that derail us as writers. Good #writing wishes! 💛

[Image shares this same “last call” text with a link to the registration page.]
Final call for summer writing groups! We (@cusew Final call for summer writing groups!
 
We (@cusewinters and I) are trying out a new time on Tuesdays 2-5pm. Hoping this group reaches those of you who’ve asked for later times.
 
For more information and to sign up: https://heart-head-hands.com/product/online-writing-group/ --> link in bio.

There’s still a little time to join before Tuesday. :-)

[This image shows writing tools (phone, keyboard, journal, pencil, and pen) along with the event information: “Join one or both days: Tues. @ 2pm ET or Fri. @ 10am ET. Come Write Together: Heart-Head-Hands.com.”]

#writing #writinginspiration #writingcommunity #writer #writersofinstagram #WritingResources #WritingSupport #WritingLife #WritingCenterLife #WritingTime #TimeToWrite #writinggoals #writersblock #writingmotivation #writerscommunity #writers #WritingCoach #WritingGroup #communitywriting #WritingTogether
#Repost @charisbooksandmore with @use.repost
・・・
Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with a new book! Need some guidance on where to start or what to read next? We have three separate booklists for you to look through: AAPI Fiction (and a little poetry!), Non-Fiction, and Children’s/YA! ⁠
⁠
You can find the complete lists at the link in our bio!⁠
⁠
FICTION AND POETRY:⁠
· All This Could Be Different: A Novel by Sarah Thankam Mathews (@smathewss)⁠
· Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai (@mia.tsai.books) (@tachyonpub)⁠
· The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On by Franny Choi (@fancyrhino)⁠
· Togetherness by Wo Chan (@theillustriouspearl)⁠
· Hula: A Novel by Jasmin Iolani Hakes (@jasminiolani)⁠
· Late Bloomers: A Novel by Deepa Varadarajan (@deepavaradara)⁠
⁠
NON-FICTION:⁠
· A Living Remedy: A Memoir By Nicole Chung (@nicolesjchung)⁠
· The Trauma of Caste: A Dalit Feminist Meditation on Survivorship, Healing, and Abolition By Thenmozhi Soundararajan (@dalitdiva)⁠
· Asian American Histories of the United States By Catherine Ceniza Choy (@catherinecenizachoy)⁠
· Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life By Alice Wong (@disability_visability)⁠
· I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir By Baek Sehee⁠
· Biting the Hand: Growing Up Asian in Black and White America By Julia Lee (@profjulialee)⁠
⁠
CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT:⁠
· An Asian American A to Z: A Children's Guide to Our History By Cathy Linh Che (@cathylinhche), Kyle Lucia Wu (@kylelucia), & Kavita Ramchandran (@kavitaramchandran) (@haymarketbooks)⁠
· Milloo's Mind: The Story of Maryam Faruqi, Trailblazer for Women's Education By · Reem Faruqi (@reemfaruqi) & Hoda Hadadi (@hodahadadi_artpage)⁠
· Maizy Chen's Last Chance By Lisa Yee (@lisayee1)⁠
· You Are Here: Connecting Flights edited by Ellen Oh (@elloecho) (@tracicheeauthor) (@allidabooks)⁠
· She Is a Haunting By Trang Thanh Tran (@nvtran_)⁠
· A Scatter of Light By Malinda Lo (@malindalo)⁠
⁠
#AAPIHeritageMonth⁠
We’re a week away from the final workshop on pla We’re a week away from the final workshop on planning summer writing projects. It’s next Wednesday, May 24th 1-3pm ET (starting at 12pm CT, 11am MT, 10am PT).

These workshops are interactive and responsive to what emerges, much like small-group coaching. One participant shared this reflection from last week’s workshop:

“Thank you for the lovely session today. It really made me reevaluate the way that I schedule my day and how I am (or at the moment, how I am not) prioritizing the writing I want to be doing.”

Registration is on a sliding scale and includes a one-day writing retreat. Learn more and sign up here: https://heart-head-hands.com/product/planning-summer-writing-projects-prioritizing-purpose-over-productivity/ —> link in bio 💛

[Image shows a row of colored pencils, fading in color from green to brown, against a teal background. The top half shares the workshop’s title: “Planning Summer Writing Projects: Prioritizing Purpose over Productivity” and the URL: Heart-Head-Hands.com …]

#writing #coaching #priorities #prioritizing #productivity #planning #projects #summerwriting #writingplans #writingoals #writingcommunity #writers #writinggroup #writingretreat #writingretreats #summerretreats #writingworkshop #workshop #smallgroupcoaching #learning #unlearning #summer #academia #highered #writingchallenges #reflection #purpose #purposedriven #commitment
Load More... Follow on Instagram

About Beth Godbee

I'm an educator and former writing studies professor who believes our fully embodied selves matter in the world. We can’t just think our way out of the incredible injustices, dehumanization, violence, and wrongdoing that characterize everyday life. We must feel and act, too. [Pronouns: she/her.] Read more ...

This image shows books alongside the words: courses, coaching, consulting. learning + unlearning.

Copyright © 2023