Essentially, though, I said that an effective way to achieve something new is to go through the same "ritual" that has helped you commit to, and accomplish, similar goals in the past.
Well, I'd wager that for many goals -- whether it's writing a book, job-hunting, starting a business, developing management or other skills, studying, sticking to an exercise routine, or pursuing any important objective -- an essential part of an effective Commitment Ritual is to:
MEASURE (and RECORD) YOUR PROGRESS.
Ever heard the saying, "what gets measured, gets done"?
When you measure and record your progress, you're not just keeping track of how you're doing... The actual process of measuring and recording helps ingrain the legitimacy of, and your commitment to, your goal...
And when you write down your "results" -- especially results you're not happy with... you're often even more motivated to perform better next time.
Although, in many cases, what you measure and record matters less than the fact that you are measuring and recording!
So get out your notebook, spreadsheet, or diary... and start keeping track! Even if you don't like your current "results" you'll probably find that simply by writing them down... they'll get better and better.