Promises to Yourself

The other day I was listening to a podcast and the author brought up something that got me thinking… she talked about the importance of keeping promises you make to yourself. 

If you go to bed planning to get up and run (or write, or make a smoothie, or whatever), but then you get up and don’t feel like it and take a pass, you are breaking a promise you made to yourself. And while doing this once in a while is inevitable (you wake up sick, the blender broke), if you keep breaking promises to yourself over and over, you will start to lose faith.

I like to think of this one in terms of friendship. 

If I had a friend who was constantly bailing on our plans, making excuses, acting like she was really excited to hang with me then backing out at the last minute, I would slowly stop trusting her. 

I wouldn’t feel like I could count on her to be there for me when it mattered. I would know that her words didn’t mean much. 

YOU are that friend to yourself. 

And keeping promises to yourself is a habit just like breaking promises to yourself. 

Liz Moody, the author interviewed in the podcast, shared something else that I thought was helpful. If you find yourself breaking these promises to yourself often, set the bar lower. 

Can’t seem to get up and run 2 miles (in January, when it’s super cold)? 

Then get up and do 20 jumping jacks.

Can’t sit down for 2 hours and write the next Great American Novel?

Write for 5 minutes on your Notes app. 

Set the bar lower until you can keep promises to yourself. 

Need help learning how to be a better friend to yourself? I would love to help. 

Just click “Request a Session” and we can schedule a chat.