We gain other people’s trust when we say we will do something and actually do it. Our words hold power that can either make or break us.

But, then there are inevitable times when we’re not always impeccable with our words.  Even if failing to follow through might be unintentional or done only once or twice, it will create a significant impact in our lives.

Small things done repeatedly becomes a habit and the habits that we do define who we are. Every time we say a word, we’re sending messages to our subconscious mind, and the world around us.

When we don’t honor our word, it could mean we can’t be trusted, that our words don’t have power in them. Others won’t trust us and we simply lose self-respect.

However, when we honor our commitments, we’re giving power to the words that come out of our mouth. Honoring our commitments is doing the things we say we’re going to do when we say we’re going to do it.

Learning to honor our commitments takes practice because there could be times when we’re unable to do it. But it’s a practice worth striving for so that the words that come out of our mouth will align with our physical reality.

This gives us the power to speak things into existence and take control of designing our own life. The following tips will help us do this.

3 Simple Ways To Honor Your Commitments And Design The Life You Want:

1. Say no to things that are not aligned with your priorities.

Every day you’re faced with the decision of saying yes or no. These requests might come from the people you love, office mates, friends, or acquaintances.

Because you have only a limited time in a day, when you say yes to something, you’re saying no to others. While it makes you feel bad to say no to someone, it’s still the best thing you can do than say yes and fail to follow through.

Choose your priorities. Say yes only to things that are aligned with it.

Saying yes to things you want to say no to paralyzes you and because it’s not in your priority, you’re likely fail to follow through.

Don’t over commit yourself when you know you’re unable to do all of them.

2. Honor commitments you’ve made to yourself.

Start your practice by honoring the commitments you’ve made to yourself. Once you’re able to honor your commitments you’ve made to yourself, you’ll find it much easier to honor the commitments you’ve made to others.

Make your commitments simple so that it would be easier for you to succeed.

If you’re still struggling to do all the things in your to-do list, begin by listing 3-4 items on it each day. You’ll gain momentum when you manage to do all of them. You can then add more items after that.

Another thing is to make a micro change to your behavior.

Let’s say, you want to lose weight. Don’t tell yourself you’re going to work out 5 days a week to lose 50 lbs. Instead, go to the gym and walk in. This will awaken within you the desire to work out.

Going to the gym and walking in is a much easier commitment to honor than losing 50 lbs.

Or, if you want to develop the habit of writing 1,000 words each day, start by committing to open your notebook each morning. The simple commitment of opening your notebook increases your chances of following through your desire to write.

By honoring your commitments to yourself, you’re telling your brain that you’re able to follow through your commitments as well as change your behavior.

Because you’re able to change one behavior, it’s easier for you to change another.

3. Honor commitments you’ve made to others.

Most often, we fail to honor the commitments we’ve done to others in really small ways.

For example, you promise a housemate or partner that you’re going to clean the room and fail to do it. Or, if you commit to deliver something at a specified date but unable to keep your word.

While the results aren’t catastrophic, in actuality, you’re diminishing to create your capacity to create the life you want to create. You’re pushing people to see you as someone who is unreliable.

They will start to not take your words seriously and lose respect in you.

Honoring your commitments transforms your self-image

Getting into the habit of honoring your commitments sets the stage for you to develop a sense of power and control over your life.

When you constantly do the things you say you’re going to do, you’re transforming your self-image. You become a better and newer version of yourself.

Source: http://upliftconnect.com/three-simple-ways-avoid-overcomitting/;