Commitments: 5 reasons they are important to you

Have you ever overextended yourself by making promises you could not keep? Or maybe you have decided to no longer volunteer because you were unable to follow through on your commitments. If this sounds familiar to you, then you must realize that you cannot continue on this path. When others start seeing that you are not capable of following through on your commitments, it puts you in a precarious position. Now not only are you kicking yourself for not achieving certain tasks or goals you've set for yourself, others will begin to wonder if you are really serious enough to keep and follow through on anything.

Here are five reasons why commitments are important to you:

1. Honor Thyself
If you make a commitment – whether it is to yourself or to another, honor yourself by carrying out what it is you have promised. This behavior will only lead to greater promise for yourself and your life. The more you accomplish, the better you feel about yourself and ultimately, the closer you become to fulfilling your own destiny.

2. Get Satisfaction
Think back to a time when you were a little boy or girl. Do you ever recall wanting to climb to the top of the monkey bars or perhaps it was acing your math test or possibly it was just learning how to skip rope? Once you accomplished it, you automatically felt a great sense of satisfaction and self-pride. It is the same thing with commitments. When you keep them and you accomplish them, you feel a great sense of pride and self worth.

3. Show ‘em what you got!
Demonstrating your ability to follow through on commitments does more than just honor and satisfy you, it shows others your dedication and willingness to go the extra mile. In essence, it reinforces your value. It gives those around you the motivation to do more themselves, and it demonstrates to higher ups how accountable and trustworthy you are.

4. Thanks for the Memories
The nice part about accomplishing the tasks you set out to do is that when you reflect on your life, you can sit back and know that some of your most priceless memories are those you created yourself. In all honesty, who wants to be known as the person who never finished the job? It’s a positive feeling being able to look back and know that you kept your commitments and put your life on track to success.

5. Success!
Most importantly, sticking to and completing your obligations will lead you to success. Some tasks may be more challenging than others, but when you set your mind to reaching the end goal, you discover that all the sweat, blood and tears were worth the effort.

Yes, anything is possible when you realize the essential role you play in making good on the commitments you made to yourself and to those around you. Why not choose to stick to your commitments? Choose success because it is your greatest joy!