The blog is late this week.
My apologies.
I’m uploading it 5 days later than I usually do.
That’s because I’ve been having a blast in Brighton this week (more later).
Why am I making such a big deal about it being late?
Because I like to be consistent.
I like to be a reliable, dependable, non-flaky person.
Someone you can trust.
I don’t just LIKE to be that way, I positively PRIDE myself on being that way.
It’s a non-negotiable for me.
When I launched this website I made a promise to myself.
I promised myself I would upload a 1,000+ word blog every week for 100 weeks.
Then I would review things.
The reason I made that promise was because I knew I had a lot of knowledge floating around in my head that could really help people, especially people with low self-esteem. I felt it was my duty to share it.
So far I’ve stuck to my promise (currently 86 weeks and counting) even if this week I’m a little late.
I’ve stuck to it whether I’ve been tired, ill, busy or even away.
Keeping a promise to yourself is one of the best things you can possibly do.
It feels so good 🙂
Are you someone who sticks to their promises?
Is that just to others, or is that to you too?
We often think of keeping promises with friends, family, our work colleagues or team members.
Keeping our word gives us a way to demonstrate our values.
It shows whether we’re reliable, trustworthy, have integrity, or even that we care.
When we make a promise, we have to factor in our time, our limitations, our other responsibilities, if we’re to deliver on our word.
We’ve all been on the receiving end of a broken promise, so we understand how frustrating, disappointing or even downright hurtful it can feel.
Sometimes this experience fuels us to keep our future promises even more.
We don’t want to put someone else through what we went through.
Keeping our promises to other people is very important.
But I would argue, keeping our promises to ourselves is equally, if not MORE important.
Why??? It’s only us, so who else would know…or even care?
Well, WE’D know…our inner selves.
Trust equals confidence.
When we stick to our promises we build confidence in ourselves.
We trust ourselves.
Each time we keep a promise to ourselves we show ourselves that we’re trustworthy.
A person of honour.
We can rely on ourselves.
We become our own best friends.
We can be there for ourselves, even if no-one else in the whole world is there for us, WE are there for us.
This boosts our self-esteem immensely.
The more promises we BREAK to ourselves; the more we set ourselves up as flaky, unreliable, disappointing…even weak.
This is going to destroy our self-esteem.
Remember self-esteem is about the amount of esteem you have for yourself. In other words, how much you like yourself.
When you let yourself down regularly by not sticking to your promises, you are destroying your self-esteem.
Where promises are concerned, I want you to start treating yourself the way you would treat someone you really loved.
A trusted friend, family member or even your identical twin, if you had one.
You wouldn’t let them down would you?
In my worst people-pleasing days, I never would have dreamt of breaking a promise to anyone else, but I would break promises to myself all the time.
I wouldn’t think twice about letting myself down.
I had a complete 2 tier system going on!
I don’t do that anymore.
I always say, when you were taught to share as a child it was never all for you, none for me. It was one for you, one for me.
You have to make yourself as important as everyone else in your life.
Yes, it’s good to be kind, considerate and giving, but include yourself in that.
Be kind, considerate and giving to YOURSELF, as well as everyone else who deserves it.
Even keeping the smallest promise to yourself goes a long way to boosting your faith and pride in yourself.
Be sure it’s a promise that you want to keep.
I never make a promise if it’s something I don’t care enough about, as I know I won’t stick to it.
I’m very lazy, so I only commit to things I personally see as valuable and/or worthwhile.
How can you help yourself with this?
Start small to begin with.
Find tiny things you can keep promises on.
Choose things that will really help or improve you in some way.
- Making your bed every morning – the state of your bed is the state of your head!
- Going for a 20 minute walk every day.
- Sticking to no more than 2 or 3 alcoholic drinks, or only drinking on certain days of the week.
Celebrate yourself when you’ve stuck to your promise for a week, then build on that success.
It feels so good 🙂
Right now, I’m very tired.
I’ve been partying all week and I went dancing till very late last night – I didn’t want to write this blog, BUT I didn’t want to let myself down either.
I know I’ll feel a sense of satisfaction and relief when it’s done.
Then I’ll have a nap.
Make sure you put things on your calendar – schedule and plan ahead.
Only promise things that you really have the time to do.
We all have the exact same amount of hours, minutes and seconds in a day.
Are you making the most of yours?
Could you watch an hour less TV?
Could you spend less time on your phone?
Usually, if we plan carefully, we can squeeze some more productive time from somewhere.
Is your willpower strongest in the morning, or are you a night owl?
Do you like to be organised and ahead of the game, or do you like a hard deadline to focus your attention?
Understand what it takes for you to perform at your best.
When you know how to get the best out of yourself, your best grows and expands 🙂
So back to Brighton.
Why was I there?
I was at the annual Entrepreneurs Marketing Conference.
A big yawn for many, but absolutely fabulous for those of us who love that kind of thing!
It was a week of outstanding speakers from all over the online entrepreneurial world, all sharing their knowledge.
30 in total and all by the sea 🙂
There were 800 like-minded people all being inspired, motivated and stretched by others who are absolutely at the top of their game.
People who are earning MULTI millions every year by keeping promises to themselves!
I had a wonderful hotel with a lovely room and the most fabulous sea view, right next to the pier.
Shame the weather was atrocious!
I’ve had an amazing week, in a place I’ve never been to before, learning new things, meeting new people and now making more promises to myself I have to keep!
Have a great week.
Much Love
Christina xx