Do you struggle to maintain healthy habits or commit to yourself? Do you start making healthy changes but always end up going back to your bad habits?
You're not alone! There are many reasons why you may not be able to commit to yourself: food addiction, lack of self-love, lack of belief in yourself, and much more.
Don't fret! You CAN change. No matter what you believe, I'm here to tell you that you DO have the power to change.
The Promise
Heidi Powell's blog about "The Promise" changed my life. In this blog, she says that when we make a promise to our friends, family, or other loved ones, we usually follow through. However, when we make a promise to ourselves, we don't hold ourselves to the same standard and many times don't hold ourselves accountable. Why is that?
I had been doing that for years with myself. I had made many silent promises to myself in my head: "I will start eating healthy tomorrow", "I will start exercising tomorrow", "I will never eat pizza again", "I feel terrible, I will stop putting toxic food and drink into my body tomorrow", etc. Yet, I never followed through! And when I broke my promises to myself, my self-love and self-esteem continued to get worse. My belief in myself plummeted.
Imagine if the person you depended on was constantly making promises to take care of you, but never followed through. You would feel unloved, hurt, scared, and abandoned. When you don't keep promises to yourself, essentially you are hurting yourself in the same way.
How to Commit
Make a list of 1-2 promises. Actually write down the promises or type them into your phone's notepad. Make sure the promises are SMART goals and attainable. Read Heidi's blog for more information about SMART goals. For example, a promise of "I will never eat pizza again" or "I will exercise 30 minutes every day" is not feasible or attainable. A more attainable goal would be: "I will only eat pizza twice per month in small portions" or "I will exercise 30 minutes 3 times a week". The promises/goals should be something you feel comfortable committing to.
Read your list of promises daily, preferably in the morning, to stay focused. Ask yourself what will you do today to attain your goals.
Once your promise becomes habit, commit to a new attainable promise.
Once you take steps every day to attain your promises, you will become empowered. You will be taking your power back! Your self-love and self-care will grow and so will your belief in yourself. Stop looking out there in the world for happiness. True happiness is only found within and loving yourself unconditionally is key. When you commit to yourself, you are loving yourself.
If you don't keep your promise to yourself, practice self-compassion. Don't beat yourself up. Reassess the promise. Is the promise realistic for where you are right now? If not, modify the promise and recommit. If it is not feasible for you to exercise for 30 minutes 3 times per week, perhaps your goal should be: "I will exercise 10 minutes 2 times per week." The promise must be attainable!
After several months of making your promises habits, you will become more empowered than you ever thought possible. You will believe in yourself. You will love yourself. Most importantly, you will be much healthier mentally and physically.
What are you waiting for? Life is too short to continue holding yourself back any longer. Take a small step today to change your life.
I would love to guide and support you on your journey! Schedule your free Transformation Discovery consultation now! You are capable of much more than you realize. You can have the life you've always dreamed of and this can be accomplished by committing to yourself and taking small baby steps every day.
Disclaimer: This blog is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any illness or disease.
The information provided in this blog is for general educational purposes, has not been reviewed nor approved by the FDA and is not intended to take the place of advice from your medical professional, licensed dietitian or nutritionist.
You are solely responsible for your health care and activity choices. Participation in this blog does not constitute a client-coach relationship.