Keep your promises. It’s a simple statement, but what does it really mean? You hear a lot of people promising this or promising that; especially at this time of year when everyone is fired up and making their lists of New Year’s Resolutions. It’s easy to make a list of things you want to accomplish when you have a full belly, you’re rested up, and you’re lounging on the couch. When it’s time to follow through and the work begins, that’s when many people quit.
You also hear people commit to things they have no intention of doing. What you say matters. It’s important to be a person of integrity and keep your promises; to others… and especially to yourself.
Okay, we know you should keep your promises to others. But what’s so important about keeping promises to yourself? It’s important because you matter and you need to be able to depend on yourself. You have to know that when you say or decide to do something that you are going to follow through and do it. This brings us back to character. Being true to yourself will help you build your self-esteem and value.
This is especially important when setting fitness and health goals for yourself. When you do what you say you’re going to do, you build yourself up. When you drop the ball and avoid, ignore, or put off what you told yourself you were going to accomplish, you weaken your self esteem.
Just the fact that you are setting goals for yourself makes you extraordinary. Most people just flounder through life, going with the flow, and doing what everybody else is doing. When you set goals, those are “promises” to yourself that you are going to work toward those goals.
What goals did you set for this New Year? Did you make a list of resolutions? Are they the same ones you had last year, and you just scratched out the date and wrote in “2013”? Wouldn’t it feel good to actually follow through with those goals and resolutions this time around?
Take some time to sit down and map out a plan for each of the goals you set. It’s very important to discover what actions you will need to take in order to accomplish each goal. Action is what will take your list from “resolutions” to “accomplished”. Imagine how you’ll feel about yourself, knowing that you kept those promises you made to yourself. You did what you said you were going to do, and you took action.
Getting fit and healthy is not always easy. There will be many days that are uncomfortable and hard. Knowing that you are a person of integrity, who follows through, is what will get you to “just do it” even when you don’t feel like it. Why? Because you told yourself that you were going to do it. That’s keeping promises to yourself.
So, this year, make it different than past years. Don’t write down frivolous goals that you have no intention of working toward. Be serious with your resolutions. Develop a plan of action. And, most importantly, take action toward your goals (keep your promises). You’ll feel better about yourself, and small successes and daily actions will make you believe in yourself. That’s a promise 😉