16/04/2020
Do you struggle to commit to things because you don’t want to be disappointed if you don’t follow-through?
This is more common than you think.
Generally, we operate with two selves: our higher self, and our lower self.
⬆️Your higher self is ambitious, disciplined, and wants the best for you.
⬇️Your lower self makes excuses, is anxious, and holds you to your self-destructive patterns.
As one of my clients so elegantly put it: “It feels like my higher self plans my day and my lower self shows up and doesn’t do it.”
When it comes to making commitments, it can feel like exactly that. We plan with the absolute best intentions, but when it comes time to execute, we choose instant gratification over long-term fulfillment.
I have two recommendations if you want to out-grow the story you tell yourself that causes you not to follow through:
☝🏼Make smaller commitments.
If your best self wants to wake up and workout at 6am but you’re used to waking up at 9am and getting a slow start, DON’T be hard on yourself for struggling to make this happen! You don’t have to go zero to 100. It’s not sustainable. Make smaller changes. Make smaller commitments in order to build a foundation of reliability and trust with yourself.
✌🏼Exercise the muscle.
Just like your attention span is a muscle, so is your follow-through. If you have a history of making commitments and then not following through, you’re going to tell yourself stories about yourself that will limit you in the future. You ARE in complete control of yourself. You have to get into the habit of pushing through the resistance when you’re doing something that challenges you. Find opportunities to prove to yourself that you are a finisher. Commit to a 20 day fitness challenge, read a whole book, do everything on your to-do list. Start somewhere and start building trust and respect with yourself.
What small promises do you keep with yourself that build trust? @ Chicago, Illinois
