The Power of Agreements

Agreements are a powerful and important part of life, but most people overlook the most critical agreements of all. If you order pizza and they promise delivery in 30 minutes or less, what do you do if the delivery takes 35 minutes? You demand a free pizza! If your package from Amazon was supposed to arrive on Tuesday but it doesn’t get delivered until Thursday, rest assured someone is going to hear about it. And we are all about the money back guarantee. Whether it’s a job agreement, a phone contract, a vehicle warranty or a marriage, our lives are structured by agreements and when others break those arrangements with us, we are quick to call it to their attention and demand retribution or a refund.

However, how quick are you to call yourself out when you break agreements with yourself? We don’t hesitate to let others know when a contract is broken or when they have let us down, but we are far too lenient with ourselves in the same position. Whether it’s a commitment to exercise, to study more, to eat better, to save more money or to simply become a better parent or spouse, we seem to have no problem violating those agreements and letting ourselves down.

According to a recent Nielsen study on New Year’s Resolutions, nearly four resolutions out of ten are already given up by February of the same year. Many of these people are trying to make life long changes, but can’t even keep the commitment an entire month! People are far too comfortable breaching a contract with themselves.

The agreements you make with yourself are the most powerful contracts you hold, and the most devastating when broken, because you have complete control of the parties involved. There is no one else to blame when things get sour. Get used to holding yourself to a higher standard and sharing that standard with others. Let trusted friends or a spouse in on your agreements with you. Let them witness the contract and hold you accountable. Even be willing to impose penalties on yourself if arrangements are broken. Make it very uncomfortable to break an agreement with you. Enough people in your life will let you down, don’t be one of them.

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