Overcommitment

Keeping our word is not just an act of discipline. It requires us to stop and think about it before committing. Learning to ask ourselves questions in the midst of feeling intense empathy and wanting to alleviate another’s pain, feeling our own emotions, being focused on an objective, experiencing feelings of insecurity which make us want to ‘prove’ ourselves, experiencing excitement and desire to go ahead with a project, fear, a desire to please or any other number of feelings and thoughts is an essential first step in understanding why we want to commit to an action. What other projects do we have looming? What situations and events are requesting prioritization in our lives right now? When we get caught up in the moment and forget about everything else that is going on in our lives, the results can be disorganized and impossible to accomplish. This in turn, can negatively affect those we have committed to. Getting a clear picture of our lives by creating lists of what is most important for us to accomplish first is essential. Putting these on our calendar, though they may be things we normally would not put there, can help us to remember them even when we are in the heat of the moment. As long as we make it a habit to check our calendar before committing to something, we can remain in the clear. Because keeping our word reflects who we are and acknowledging, rectifying and taking care to stop overcommitting will help to build confidence in ourselves and with other people.

-Janice M. Burke

Image from WIX