We all love the feeling of a new plan. The excitement. The clarity. The illusion of progress. It’s like we’re rewiring our lives on paper, convinced this time will be different. But for most of us, the problem isn’t the plan—it’s the follow-through.
I’ve been there more times than I can count. I’ve mapped it out, detailed it down to the hour, color-coded charts, researched endlessly, printed off trackers, bought new journals, and visualized what the result would look like. And then… nothing. Not because the plan was bad. Not because I lacked the tools. But because I didn’t follow through. I didn’t keep my word to myself when it counted.
It became a recurring cycle—one I started to recognize with uncomfortable clarity. I’d feel productive just by planning. I’d get a dopamine hit from the design of the system, the articulation of the vision. But the system didn’t change me. The planning didn’t move the needle. Eventually, I realized the truth: breakthrough didn’t come from a bigger or better plan. It came from making one small promise… and actually keeping it.
Start Smaller Than You Think
We don’t fail at change because we lack ambition. We fail because we try to change too much at once. We try to overhaul everything overnight. But most of us are out of shape—at least when it comes to keeping promises to ourselves. And when that’s the case, it’s not about motivation. It’s about reps.
So what actually works?
Start small.
I mean really small. Smaller than what feels necessary. Smaller than what you think is even worth tracking.
Track protein for just one meal.
Go to bed 15 minutes earlier.
Park at the far end of the lot on purpose.
Make your bed before you leave the room.
Open the Bible, even if just for one verse.
These actions might seem insignificant, but they’re doing something powerful: they’re helping you rebuild trust with yourself. Because when you follow through on something—even a tiny thing—you send yourself a message that you can be counted on. You build a little integrity. And that’s no small win.
The Smoking Example
One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned about personal change came from quitting smoking.
For years, I lived in that back-and-forth headspace—half trying to quit, half trying to hide it. I made all kinds of elaborate plans to stop. I’d taper off. Use nicotine patches. Distract myself. Promise I’d quit next month. Rationalize it with stress. Lie to myself. Lie to my wife. And through all of it, I stayed stuck.
What finally changed wasn’t the method. It wasn’t a new plan. It was the moment something clicked in my mind. I made a definitive choice: I’m done.
Not I’m cutting back. Not I’m going to try.
Just: I’m done.
That moment wasn’t magical. It didn’t erase the struggle. But it simplified everything. The promise became clear: no more hiding. No more smoke breaks. No more excuses.
One day at a time. One hour at a time, if needed.
And for the first time, I kept the promise. And that changed everything—not just because I stopped smoking, but because I stopped lying to myself.
Stop Letting Your Ego Set the Bar
Here’s the tricky part: your ego will always set the bar too high. It’ll tell you that you can handle massive change, sweeping transformation, cold turkey everything. It’ll feed you the image of being hyper-disciplined and perfect. But your real life experience says otherwise.
And you know what? That’s okay.
The goal isn’t to impress other people—or even yourself. The goal is to build a new baseline of personal integrity. To become the kind of person who does what they say, even when no one’s watching.
So stop promising the moon. Stop stacking 15 habits onto your morning routine.
Start with something simple.
Keep it.
Then do it again.
Because over time, those small promises pile up into something unshakable. And people on the outside will think you made a huge leap. But you’ll know the truth: it wasn’t magic. It was just steady, quiet, unsexy consistency.
Build the Muscle
Keeping promises is a muscle.
And like any muscle, it gets stronger with use—and weaker with neglect.
If you’ve been out of the habit for a while, that’s okay. Start with light reps. Start with the basics. Because the more you keep, the more strength you gain. And the stronger you get, the less you’ll need motivation, gimmicks, or perfectly optimized plans.
You’ll just need your word.
So here’s the invitation:
The first promise you can keep is that the next promise you make—you’ll keep.
And by keeping that one promise, you win twice: you follow through, and you remind yourself that you can be trusted.
You don’t need a new plan. You don’t need more spreadsheets.
You need to become someone who shows up.
You need to keep your word to yourself.
Want help keeping the promises you make?
Download the free 31-Day Start Strong Check-In.
It’s simple, honest, and designed to help you build momentum.
Click here to grab your copy.
