Serious Promises

Have you ever made a promise to yourself, and then not kept it? Maybe you swore to yourself that if "it" happens one more time, then you will do something about it. Or that "Next Year", things will be different (yet they never are). Or maybe you promised to lose weight, spend more time with your family, change your job, or volunteer in your community.

All of these promises can't be kept for one simple reason: we aren't serious when we make them. When we are dissatisfied, or when we are faced with a disappointment, we feel the need to do something; unfortunately, that something is usually a false promise to ourselves. Once we make that promise, we are off the hook.

Unfortunately, when we habitually make false promises, then break them, we slowly grind away our self-confidence.

A more effective way to deal with the stress of disappointment or dissatisfaction is to buckle down, give yourself some breathing room, and resolve to look at the issue dispassionately at a specific time later. Then commit to an activity at the time you later consider the issue. Throwaway promises made when you're under pressure are rarely kept.

This week's action item: There is no reason to wait for a time of disappointment or dissatisfaction to make a personal promise to yourself. This week, choose one thing that you've been thinking about for some time, and then calendarize at least one action item immediately. If you're going to make promises to yourself, you may as well keep them.

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Randall Craig is an expert on Career Development, Work-Life Balance, and Networking; to find out how his workshops, webinars, and keynotes can help your team or add to your event, contact him through www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com, or by email at editor@ptadvisors.com.

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Copyright © 2008 Knowledge to Action Press and Randall Craig. All rights reserved.

Publication Date: May 27, 2008