7 Promises to Yourself You Never Keep

…and why it’s time to stop playing with your own potential. Promises to yourself are a part of growth.

Let’s be honest for a second: you make beautiful promises to yourself. You set intentions, you write lists, you whisper “this time I mean it” into your pillow. But when life starts lifing, those promises disappear faster than your patience on a chaotic Monday.

Here’s the truth—you’re not breaking promises because you’re lazy or unmotivated. You’re breaking them because you keep trying to change your life with leftover energy, borrowed confidence, and unrealistic expectations. And you deserve better than that.

Let’s walk through the seven promises you keep making… and keep abandoning. Not to call you out, but to call you forward.

1. “I’m going to put myself first.”

You say this every time you hit that point of exhaustion where you’re talking to yourself in the car. But then someone needs something—your kids, your partner, your family, your job—and you slide right back into last place.

Putting yourself first isn’t selfish. It’s survival. And until you start treating your needs like they matter, everyone else will keep treating you like you don’t have any.

Promise kept looks like: Saying “no” without over-explaining, choosing the option that supports your peace, and leaving room on your schedule for things that refill you instead of drain you.

2. “I’m going to slow down and rest.”

You know your body is begging you to chill. Yet every time you sit down, you redirect the call to voicemail.

You don’t rest because you don’t trust that life will keep moving if you stop. But life isn’t going to reward you for running yourself into the ground. It will only hand you consequences. Headaches. Frustrations. Burnout.

Promise kept looks like: Taking a real break when your body asks for it, going to bed instead of powering through, and protecting your downtime the same way you protect your responsibilities.

3. “I’m going to stop doubting myself.”

You hype yourself up in your journal, then immediately talk yourself out of every good idea you have. You want confidence but keep feeding your fear first. Self-doubt is loud, but it’s not wise. Most of the things you’re afraid of are imaginary anyway.

Promise kept looks like: Submitting the application even if you’re nervous, launching the idea before it’s perfect, and speaking up for yourself without waiting for validation first.

4. “I’m going to start eating better and taking care of my body.”

You make the grocery list, watch the meal prep videos, and buy the cute water bottle. But you also convince yourself you don’t have time. Or you tell yourself you’ll start Monday, just to push Monday back to the next Monday…then the next. Food and movement aren’t punishments. They’re invitations.

Promise kept looks like: Packing one nourishing meal instead of skipping, walking for ten minutes instead of doing nothing, and being honest about what your body truly needs instead of what’s convenient.

5. “I’m going to stop letting people stress me out.”

You swear you’re done dealing with certain people’s chaos. But one text message, one favor, one guilt trip later and suddenly you’re right back in their storm. Letting people stress you out is a habit. Protecting your peace is a skill.

Promise kept looks like: Creating space between you and the people who drain you, choosing not to respond immediately when you feel triggered, and honoring your peace even when someone else doesn’t understand it.

6. “I’m going to stay consistent.”

You start strong, feel unstoppable, get tired, get distracted, and boom—you’re off track and shame creeps in. Consistency isn’t about doing everything every day. It’s about returning to what matters without the whole dramatic emotional meltdown.

Promise kept looks like: Showing up again the day after you slip up, breaking tasks into small manageable steps, and keeping your commitments without falling into all-or-nothing thinking.

7. “I’m going to choose myself.”

You say it, you want it, you crave it… but choosing yourself feels unfamiliar. You’ve spent most of your life choosing survival, choosing responsibility, choosing what’s expected. Choosing yourself feels selfish only because it’s new.

Promise kept looks like: Making decisions based on your long-term well-being, walking away from situations that shrink you, and saying “yes” to opportunities that align with who you’re becoming.

So what now?

You don’t need to make more promises. You need to build trust with yourself again. Keep one small promise today. One tiny action. One shift. One moment of honesty.

That’s how you change your life—not overnight, but over time.

You deserve to see what happens when you actually keep your word to yourself. Let this be the season you stop abandoning the woman you’re becoming.