7 Promises You Need To Make Yourself - And Actually Keep

Sep 03, 2018

You probably wouldn't dream of not keeping a promise you made to someone else. Yet you may break promises to yourself all the time. Think of all those New Year's resolutions you made and then dropped. Whether you planned to start exercising or losing weight or learning something new, you probably let it fall by the wayside without much though. You can't take care of anyone if you don't take care of yourself. You can start by making these seven promises to yourself and keeping every one of them.

Your body will tell you when you need to slow down. If you have aches and pains or feel fatigued, that is usually a sign you need to take it easy. You might just need 20 minutes to talk to a friend, get some exercise in or meditate. In addition to staving off anxiety and disease, you'll find your life transformed for the better.

Studies show that when you smile more, you feel better. Even when you don't feel like smiling, it can have this effect. In addition to giving you more energy and reducing your stress, smiling will help you in your interactions with others as well. Keeping this promise means you will be healthier and happier.

Promise yourself that you will live a life that is big. You will never discover what hidden talents you may have as long as follow the familiar old paths, but if you step outside of that, there is no limit to what you may be able to do. It is the people who do not acknowledge limits that live the most extraordinary lives, and sticking with this promise means you will be one of them.

You can acknowledge your past without being burdened by it. What you have learned from past experiences will always be with you and can help you make a better future. Promise yourself that you will accept your past, integrate it into your future and never look back.

Too often, people end up living the lives their families or others expect instead of following their hearts. However, you can never be happy like this. You have to figure out what you want and live your life in a way that follows your own vision. This is one of the most important promises you can make to yourself.

Not every relationship is meant to last forever. From best friends to people you fall in love with to business partners, you may feel disappointed when people leave you. However, you can reframe that loss. Remind yourself that everything has a beginning and an end. When it is no longer time for someone to be in your life, that person moves on, but you can still keep the good memories and what you learned from them. Promise yourself you will do this instead of pining for the people you have lost.

When you review the above list, you might need to accept that you are going to have to make some big changes in your life. This could mean ending some relationships and taking on challenges you did not anticipate, but the effect on your life will be amazing. If you write all of these down in a promise journal along with your personal take on each item, you can go back to it whenever you struggle with change and remind yourself to stay on course and keep your promises to yourself.

What promises have you made to yourself in life? Did you keep them?