Making Promises You Can Keep
by Erika Townsend
With the beginning of Spring, we may find ourselves making all sorts of promises. Whether it’s a fitness target, professional ambition or health resolution, few promises will have more impact to our everyday lives than ones that we make to our partners. They may be small promises like, “I will not leave my socks on the floor anymore and promise to put them in the hamper as soon as I take them off,” or “I promise I will hold all important conversations with my husband until after the game ends.” They may be big promises like “I am going to set aside money every month for weekend anniversary get-away,” or “I promise to make and stick to a budget to ensure that our family makes it through tough times.” Whether big or small, here are some tips to help you stay on course with all of your promises.
Make Your Promises Known
A lot of times when we make resolutions, they are promises to ourselves that we may or may not keep private. If we share our promises or goals with others, then we are making them tangible. It may seem as though making a proclamation of your goals are redundant, but that is not the case. When you make a public announcement about what you would like to achieve, you will have other people to hold you accountable to those goals besides yourself.
Garner Support from Others
Once you have made your goals known, ask others for support. The great thing about sharing your goals is that others may find pleasure in helping you achieve them. They may have ideas and tips that will take you much further than what you may accomplish on your own. They may also give you the guidance that you need when your best efforts seem to be falling short.
Be Specific in What You Want to Accomplish
While initially you may have wanted to pick up your dirty clothes just to keep your wife from fussing at you, when you begin to narrow in on what you really want to accomplish, you may find that actually, you want to find more ways to keep peace in the house. This could lead to a floodgate of promises that you need to make for yourself and mate in order to achieve what you truly want to accomplish. At this point it is important to prioritize and set goals that are realistic.
Come Up with a Plan
Once you know exactly what you want to do, it is time to figure out exactly how to do it. So, if your plan was to wait to approach your husband about important subjects until after any games, think about what you could do to blow off steam in the meantime. Maybe that means reading a book or calling a girlfriend when you need time to vent. Whatever plan you come up with, make sure that it is something that you can really tackle. If you fall off the wagon, try to revise your plan to counter any missteps that may take you off your path.
As the old saying goes, “Promises are made to be broken.” However, if you follow some of these simple tips, broken promises are a thing of the past.
