Most of us will crawl through fire to keep a promise to a friend, but we will break promises to ourselves without hesitation.
Why?
Typically we stand behind our word. When we promise someone something, we deliver.
However, when we make a promise to ourselves, we struggle to take action.
For instance, when I started running 18 years ago, it wasn’t easy. Many mornings I had to force myself out of bed to hit the roads in the dark. I can tell you with 100% certainty if I did not have someone waiting for me to meet them, I would have hit snooze and stayed in my cozy bed instead of building the base to become a marathon runner.
Don’t go it alone.
Let me repeat myself.
Don’t go it alone!
We all need an accountability partner. At least one! I prefer a few. You’ve heard the saying, “there’s strength in numbers.” A group of people has more power and influence than one.
Last weekend a few girlfriends and I went on an incredible adventure. We hiked 50 miles from the Mason/Dixon Line in Pennsylvania to Harpers Ferry in West Virginia.
This hike was a goal I set for myself, but I didn’t want to do it alone. I mentioned my idea to a friend, and before I knew it, we were a party of five.
We all had various degrees of trail experience, and the goal was to complete the trail in 3 days and support each other to finish. One of the gals had never done anything like this and had some self-doubt and nervousness. We assured her that we would all stick together and hike at a reasonable pace and leave no one lagging.
We woke up by 5 am each morning, ate breakfast, packed our bags, dropped cars at either end of the trail, grabbed our poles, and hit the trail.
We climbed, we descended, we crossed rivers, we navigated obstructions, and we scaled cliffs for their stunning views. We spent the majority of those miles trekking along with no particular highlights. Our fuel was trail mix, PB&J sandwiches, protein bars, and water spiked with secret hydration powder. We shared stories, solved problems, and at times, laughed till our bellies hurt.
Each night we celebrated with a hot shower, a great meal, and a glass of wine.
On the last day, as we crossed the state line from Maryland to West Virginia, arm in arm, we took that victory step together.
We were a team with a goal, and we supported each other before, after, and every moment in-between.
Don’t underestimate the power of linking arms with someone to make good on your personal promises and to achieve your goals. It’s tried and true and will leave you feeling tremendous!
Cheers to the promises you keep to yourself!
