I am always very unhappy when I break any promises I have made to the people I care about; when I cannot make events that I promised that I would, because something came up that seemed to be more important. It saddens me when I see their faces shrouded in disappointment or hear it in their tone. My heart desires to keep all the promises I make to myself and to others but sometimes real life gets in the way.

A promise made and not kept is like a fart in the wind; disappearing pretty much as soon as it arrives. What is the point in making promises if we have no intention of keeping them? What is the point in wanting to do the right thing but not acting on what we know we ought to do? We've all heard the phrase, "Your word is your bond." The less we keep our word to others, the more likely it is that they will never take us seriously. We lose all credibility when we become known as promise-breakers. Breaking promises is a big indicator of character and maintaining a good character involves never making promises we have no intention of keeping, whether to ourselves or to others.

The New Year has come and gone and many of us have fallen off the "resolution wagon" already - starting that degree we planned to begin, paying off accumulated debt, saving money for retirement or losing weight and getting healthy. But the failure to build a solid bridge between what we intend to do and what we actually do has kept many of us bound; on the merry-go-round of mediocrity, having the same kind of experience year in year out. Sadly, there really isn't any point in getting a New Year if we plan to go into it with the mindset of the year before.

Developing the discipline of keeping promises is not easy. It requires a great deal of determination and perseverance. There can be no keeping of promises without discipline. Without self-discipline, all we will have are just dreams; dreams that will never become reality. The inability to discipline oneself is the primary cause of failure and frustration. A lack of self-discipline is what creates a world of excuses and finger pointing; blaming our lack of accomplishment on everyone else but ourselves. Nothing in life comes easy and no accomplishment can be made without deliberate action. Start taking the necessary actions today to ensure that you can keep your word to yourself and others.

What do you need to do that you are not doing to keep your promises to yourself? The reality is if you fail to keep the promises you have made to yourself, why should anyone else trust you to keep the promises you make to them? The words of John F. Kennedy are on point when he said: "I would rather be accused of breaking precedents than breaking promises."

Keep pressing forward towards your dreams. Remind yourself that regardless of how difficult things get, you would never give up on the promises you've made.