My word is my bond. That’s a vow of honesty and reliability to those in our lives that if we say we are going to do something, we do it. No questions asked. No backing out. This is where resiliency comes into play. Keeping our word doesn’t mean we can’t make mistakes, but we must be resilient enough to pick ourselves back up each time we do to try again. The hardest part of keeping our word is keeping our word to ourselves.
We must follow through with what we tell ourselves we will do as well. This concept lies at the core of the second principle of TRUE G.R.O.W.T.H. (Reliability & Resilience) because we can’t expect others to rely on us if we cannot rely on ourselves. Once we have set goals and aspirations for ourselves, we must stay true to our word to follow through on the work necessary to get ourselves there. It’s not meant to be easy. Once we begin to pour our heart and soul into every aspect of our lives, it can become exhausting. It can be tiresome to live a life of continuous pursuit of a better version of ourselves, but that’s what separates the good from the great; doing the hard stuff.
It’s easy to follow through when life is going well, and we are living the good life. Most New Years resolutions are easy until about February 1st. When we catch our stride and momentum kicks in, the follow through is a walk in the park. But then comes the curve balls that life throws us right when we start to catch our breath. Life becomes challenging again and we are faced with another obstacle and choice to make. This is when those who are truly reliable and resilient separate themselves from the rest of the crowd. Is our word still our bond when that bond is challenged and it’s hard to do what we said we would?
This is why most New Year’s resolutions fail. It’s easier to let ourselves down than it is to let others down. Why? Because we find ways to justify to ourselves why the follow through is not needed. We make excuses and we believe our own excuses. It’s easy to go to the gym right after you make the goal because that is when motivation is at it’s peak! But what happens when the motivation tapers off? Then come the long days of work, school and managing other aspects of our lives that wear away at our motivation and disposable energy. What happens then? Does our bond break? The follow through becomes harder as time goes on.
This is why we need contingencies in place. We need to establish a backup plan for what we’ll do when our initial bond is challenged. Once we have set our goal, we must prepare for the days when the hard work is necessary and it’s hard to keep our word. If you told yourself you would go to the gym three days a week, what will you do on the days when you have no energy left to go?
TRUE G.R.O.W.T.H. wasn’t created to be easy. Our word must be our bond to both those in the outside world and most importantly, to ourselves. Set your sights on the aspirations and the lifestyle that you want to live and make the promise to yourself that you will get there. That’s the easy part, the hard part lies in the follow through.
Thank you for being a member of TRUE G.R.O.W.T.H. I love to hear your success stories and feedback so please reach out @ timothynataleauthor@gmail.com
Don’t forget to share TRUE G.R.O.W.T.H. with those in your life who share your motivation, passion and drive or those looking to find and develop their true purpose!
