We’re all taught as children to keep our word to others, right? To mean what we say – and to follow up when we tell someone we’re going to do something for them.
But we’re not encouraged enough to keep the promises we make to ourselves. And they’re just as crucial to living a successful life and feeling content.
Breaking promises to ourselves is one of the main reasons people fail to reach goals and feel bad about themselves.
- You swear you won’t eat and drink that much again – but Friday Happy Hour rolls around and you do.
- You tell yourself that you’ll start that new fitness routine tomorrow – but then you’re just so tired.
- You promise yourself that you’re going to put a certain amount of money into a savings account out of each paycheck – but you keep forgetting.
The result is the same in each case: You feel terrible about yourself AND you don’t make progress toward your goal.
Here are some tips to break the cycle.
- Ask yourself if these goals are truly what you want.
- Be honest about why you keep dropping the ball.
- Find practical ways to meet the promises rather than just lofty ideals.
- Schedule these things and tell someone else about it.
- Under-promise and over-deliver to build up your track record.
- Give yourself a little reward when you follow through.
- Pretend you’ve made the promise to a friend you would NEVER let down.
Personal integrity is a powerful concept in helping you live the life you want and deserve. But it’s also something we practice by words, thoughts, and actions every day. Just do it.
I believe in you!
