subject: How To Gain Confidence - Keep Promises To Yourself [print this page] Most people would say that they were trustworthy and reliable. And most people are trustworthy, but even then, can you remember times when you:
-Said you were going to cut down on eating junk food but when someone brought chocolates to the office, you had a piece...or three
-Said you would make four more sales calls before leaving work but left after only making two.
-Said you wouldn't check your Blackberry for the next hour but then couldn't resist having a "quick look"
Each of these examples points towards someone who cannot be trusted to keep their word to themselves.
It may not seem like much when you press that snooze button after promising to yourself to go for a run on Sunday morning. But in actual fact, each time you say you'll do something and don't, you are eroding a bit of trust in yourself. You said you would do something and you didn't do it.
If you do this all the time, then it should come as no surprise when you make big promises to yourself and you don't believe yourself. Because you have set up a pattern where you promise yourself things and don't deliver, it becomes second nature to not feel like your word means anything.
How many people say "I'm sticking to the diet this time" knowing that there is a voice in the back of their mind saying "Yeah right". And this is totally related to confidence. Self-Confidence is all about whether you trust yourself to succeed. It's all about having faith in yourself to achieve things. If you hardly ever do what you say you will do, then it's very hard to have faith in yourself.
Action Step
For the next few days, make a promise to yourself (and keep this one!) that you will only say you'll do something if you are ABSOLUTELY sure that you'll do it.
If you aren't sure if you will do something, then don't promise to do it.
Notice the change in self-esteem you have, when you start living by this simple rule.
