Note: This article is adapted from Erin Falconer's blog, where she talks about making promises to ourselves.
I made this promise to myself because I knew that if I strayed from my blogging goals, I would never succeed and never reach enough people to make a real difference. Setting goals is great, but they are useless without a plan for achieving them.
Furthermore, the difficult part isn't following through on your commitments. This is simple. The challenge lies in coming up with a true plan in the first place. Making some self-promises is my favorite way to ensure commitment to a plan. Here are the steps below:
3 Steps to Success
1. Set a Meaningful Goal
Ask yourself, "What is something I currently don't do that would greatly improve my life if I did it every day?" The first thing that comes to mind is what we will work on. Let's assume that exercising is the example that comes to mind for you now. Even if you're extremely busy, there's no good excuse not to work out every day. You can still set aside time for it, even if you don't initially think so.
So, you have saved up some cash and are willing to give up anything to make time for exercise because it is important to you. Once you know exactly what you will work on, it's time to be specific and start creating a plan that fits your schedule.
2. Set a Realistic, Attainable Plan
How you handle this part is totally up to your personal life. Presume you've done your research and found that five days a week, thirty minutes a day of exercise suits you. However, you're short on time. At this point, most people will give up entirely on the plan and start making up excuses and justifications for why they can't improve. Actually, being willing to take the initial step is what really makes the difference between success and failure.
You have to decide to work toward making this successful rather than giving up. You can create a training plan that includes the following:
- Parking at the far end of the lot and taking the stairs.
- Getting up ten minutes early to go for a brief morning run.
- Exercising for 10 minutes after work.
Though this might seem ineffective now, you will gradually see amazing results. As an average-weight person, you will actually lose about 7 kg in a year if everything stays the same and you stick to this plan. Tiny, consistent changes lead to great success.
3. Make a Self-Promise
It's time to make a self-promise now. Using the previously given example, I would promise myself the following: "I promise to stick to the plan I set for myself and dedicate 30 minutes of exercise every day, five days a week without fail, regardless of the circumstances." Write this promise on a piece of paper, place it somewhere you pass by every day, put it in the mirror, and make it part of your morning routine.
Take action right away if you really want to make a change; you'll be very satisfied with the results if you do.
I used to make excuses for not writing every day, but now that I think back on it, I realize it was self-sabotage.
I will continue to write even if I'm ill because my mission with this website is to help people, and if I don't take the necessary action right away, this won't happen. What is your mission? And how does keeping your self-promises help you stay on the right track every day?
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