Keeping Commitments To Yourself

Midlife Musing Kuel Life Contributor: Amy Schmidt

Have you ever had somebody make a commitment to you, then not follow through with it? It doesn’t feel good, does it?

Have you ever made a commitment to yourself, then not followed through with it? That feels even worse, right?

For most of us, keeping our commitments to others is a non-issue. Where we struggle is the promises we make to ourselves. A friend of mine once described integrity as the promise we keep when no one is looking. They said, “When we constantly break our promises to ourselves, our integrity muscle starts to weaken.”

I’ve come to discover that keeping commitments is a skill similar to empathy and patience; it needs to be practiced and strengthened. Integrity is a superpower. When we become someone that keeps his or her word, not only to others but to ourselves, we become more whole and as a result, more powerful. We learn that we can rely on and trust ourselves.

Keeping Commitments To Yourself Is A Form Of Self-Love:

There is no better way to build up your self-respect than holding yourself accountable. At times we need a reboot and reset around commitment, and setting your intentions around commitment is a good place to start.

“The power is not in what I gave my word to, it’s in the fact that I keep my word.”

There is a power in beginning your day with a routine, and being intentional about how we envision our day, including the commitments we have that day. I have found power in taking time every night and listing my commitments for the next day.

This includes things like exercise, stretching, or anything else I’ve been inspired to create new habits around. Some days there might be one thing on the list, some days it might be loaded with five, and some days there might be zero. I look to the day ahead and think “what can I realistically commit to?” and then I compile my commitments.

What I’ve realized is, it actually doesn’t matter what I write down each night. The power is not in what I gave my word to, it’s in the fact that I keep my word.

If you can’t commit to yourself, who can you commit to?

Taking ownership of your life is truly about developing a mindset that you are in control. It you don’t keep your commitments to yourself, then you ultimately feel less control over your own life.

Here Are Four Ways To Check In With Yourself & How To Follow Through On Commitments:

1. Take ownership. Simply put…when you create a goal for yourself…own it. Don’t treat it as a ‘maybe’ or ‘gray area’, commit and take action.
2. Don’t overcommit and underdeliver. It’s easy to let commitments slide if you overcommit. Less is more.
3. Be clear and focused. No time for wishy-washy goals, this is the time to be specific.
4. Celebrate your successes. When you follow through on your commitments, acknowledge yourself and your wins.

“What commitments are you willing to make and keep to yourself this month?”

Commitment Is So Important To Practice For Our Kids:

No matter what age – my young adult kids are seeing that their mom is committed to growing her brand and her business and keeping her word not only to others but to herself.

They have seen me committing to practicing for myTED talk, or on days when writer’s block sets in, seeing me set a new goal to get a page or two written instead of a chapter. Give yourself permission to redesign your commitment if there is a need for recalibration. It’s okay to refocus at times.

That saying, sprinkle kindness like confetti, holds true for commitments as well. The ripple effect is powerful.

What commitments are you willing to make and keep to yourself this month?

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