I came across an interesting idea the other day that I want to share with you.  You may be surprised at the simplicity of it, but do not be fooled.  This simple idea is jam-packed with the potential to move you forward in your goals, whether they be health-related goals, fitness goals, personal goals, career goals, etc.   It is one of the fastest ways to increase your self-confidence.  It’s called the “I PROMISE” Assignment.

Here’s how it works: Think of something that you know you “should” be doing.  This could be anything from exercising, eating better, spending less time on trivial tasks at work or prioritizing the important tasks, catching up on reading, improving your social life, etc.  It must be something achievable, not insurmountable.  Now commit to doing this one thing for 10 days in a row.  Then DO IT!

Here’s the rub: If you do it every day for 10 days, you will build your self-confidence and feel great. If you skip a day or decide you’re “too busy” to do it, this can damage your self-esteem even more.  So, ONLY do this if you are willing to succeed.  I must re-emphasize that this simple exercise is very powerful.  If you are serious about making changes in your life, this can help you immensely.

Now take a sheet of paper and, at the top, write the date.  Underneath that, write the following:

I promise myself that for the next 10 days, I will ________________.

Signed:
________________________
your signature

Examples might include:

I will exercise for 30 minutes each morning.

I will work 1 extra hour each day.

I will spend 40 minutes each day cleaning out a different cupboard.

I will drink only water, letting go of soft drinks.

A fun idea is to commit 10 minutes each day to writing down any and all ideas that come to mind for improving or increasing joy in any area of your life.  It doesn’t matter what the creative ideas are; the point is to get your creative juices flowing and by doing this for 10 minutes a day, your subconscious mind can really begin to help you!

Now, underneath your signature, write:

How I made out with my promise:
KEPT IT?  (Yes or No?) REMARKS

1st Day

2nd Day

3rd Day

4th Day

5th Day

6th Day

7th Day

8th Day

9th Day

10th Day

At the end of 10 days, your goal is to have checkmarks in the “YES” column for every day.

Enjoy this assignment.  Are you able to keep your promise to yourself?!

Almost everyone who wants to stop smoking has some kind of reason (i.e., excuse) why they just can’t seem to do it on their own.  They talk about having a “part” of them wanting to stop, and yet another “part” always seems to pick up a cigarette anyway.  This internal debate in the mind is a big part of what keeps people stuck in their smoking habit.

A good hypnotist knows how to really listen to their client to discover their particular debate.  Clients may say things like the following:

“I don’t even like the smell of them, but I need something to do on my work break.”

“I hate the fact that I’m controlled by them, but whenever I get irritated with my spouse, I go reach for one anyway.”

“I know I need to stop, but I enjoy having one while at the bar with my buddies.”

“I think I could stop, but what if I can’t?”

Notice all the “buts” in these statements.  That’s the first indication that there is an internal debate going on.  As we look past the actual statements, we see that there really are deeper reasons to why they keep smoking.  Notice the reasons (in bold) after each statement:

“I don’t even like the smell of them, but I need something to do on my work break.” (bored, needs a distraction)

“I hate the fact that I’m controlled by them, but whenever I get irritated with my spouse, I go reach for one anyway.” (needs to relieve stress or anger)

“I know I need to stop, but I enjoy having one while at the bar with my buddies.” (wants to socialize)

“I think I could stop, but what if I can’t?” (has a fear of failure)

Whether it’s boredom, needing a distraction, relieving stress or anger, wanting to socialize, or even a fear of failure, these need to be addressed in order for a person to be able to let go of their smoking habit.  Being able to see that these needs can be met in other ways, rather than smoking, can be very useful.  Then one can “single-mindedly” decide to stop their smoking habit for good.  Here at Billings Hypnosis, we use hypnotism and Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques to help you accomplish your goals.  These tools work together beautifully to help resolve the internal debate and move forward.

Change Your Thoughts and You Can Change Your World!