Making promises to myself, in my personal writing…
“Making promises to myself, in my personal writing practice, has been important to me all my life. In practical application it is so much easier for me to make promises to others, and keep them, than it is to make promises to myself. "Why is that?" and the answer I gave myself is that in making promises to others I create a model of accountability and reinforcement. I duplicate that in my writing and have grown increasingly better at making and keeping promises to myself.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Keeping promises to others creates accountability, which can be replicated internally to improve self-discipline.
In simple terms: Making promises to others helps us keep promises to ourselves.
Key Takeaway
Use external accountability to build internal discipline.
Themes
self-discipline
accountability
writing
personal growth
Mood
reflective
motivational
Type
self‑help
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal writing
- goal setting
- self‑coaching
Key Concepts
psychology of commitment
habit formation
Questions to Reflect On
- What external systems can you create for self‑accountability?
- How can you internalize external promises?
A Different Perspective
External accountability may not always be reliable.