In life, we are making promises all the time.

From “I promise to wash the dishes when I get home” to “I promise I won’t tell a soul” we are making promises constantly.

When we make a promise to somebody, we generally stick to our word and keep it. A promise is a promise, and since we were about three or so, we have learned that few things are more binding than two pinky fingers wrapped around each other. A legal document might be more binding, but then again, a legal document is just a complicated promise put in writing.

We hold ourselves accountable to keeping a promise to somebody else, so why aren’t we more serious about keeping them with ourselves?

For years I have been making myself promises.

I promise to go to the gym tomorrow, I promise to call my mom today, I promise to work harder in my classes. More often than not, these are empty promises.

For every promise I make to myself and don’t follow through with, I am taking away the value of one.

Why is it that I will keep a promise to somebody else, but not myself?

So today I made myself a promise. To stop going back on my promises.

While the internet can be a superficial place, it is also a vulnerable one. Time and time again it has been proven that by telling somebody else your goals you are significantly more likely to follow through with it. So here I am, telling every person with access to the internet or print copies of the Odyssey, all of the promises I am making with the intent of actually sticking to them.

I promise to practice gratitude more. People who practice gratitude tend to be happier, and the action of doing it can put you in the best mood. It can be anything, even writing someone a letter about why you appreciate them, whether you give it to them or not, that can make a difference in your day. Although giving it to them will likely bring them joy too, so why not? It can be telling someone you appreciate them, or simply thanking them for all that they do. It is not letting people go without knowing how you feel about them. Whatever it is, it leads to a happier outlook on life, especially if you express your gratitude often. There can be gratitude toward things that may seem silly. In a lecture once, we were asked to think of something that each of our five senses appreciated on that fall morning. As I thought about it, I realized how many wonderful things I neglect to acknowledge on a day to day basis. I appreciated the feeling of my heated blanket when I woke up that morning, the taste of my mint toothpaste making my nose tingle, the warm smell of my roommates Scentsy, the sight of the leaves that had fallen and the sound of people being busy around the house. For what seemed like the first time ever, I felt like I had stopped and actually smelled the roses. I took a moment to appreciate the things that always pass me by and seem to be just another part of my daily routine. I have never left a lecture feeling more fulfilled than I did on that fall day.

That lecture is one that I think about often, and it reminds me why I need to practice gratitude, but doing it is something I can easily throw on the backburner during a seemingly busy day or week. But it is easy and effortless and one of the many ingredients to a happier life, and for that reason, I promise to make a habit of it.

I promise to start doing all the things I have been saying I want to do.

I have a track record of wanting to do things and never making them happen. I want to join a club, go on more hikes, I want to ride my bike more, I want to start painting, I want to go to a yoga class, I want to read the new best seller, I want, want, want. I am done hearing myself talk about what I want to do, instead, I am just going to start doing them. Whether it will be on a whim or something I plan for, I am the only person who can make these things happen for myself. The next time I hear myself thinking, “I want to do that,” I am going to make a plan on HOW I am going to do that and I am going to see the difference it makes in my life.

I promise to travel. And while the idea of it scares me a bit, I am more afraid of looking back on my life knowing I did not see the world.

If there is one thing nearly every middle-aged adult has told me to do, it is to travel while I am young. It seems as though the younger you are the fewer responsibilities you have, and it is not that the responsibilities don’t become fun as you grow older, but while you are young you do have the freedom to leave for a while and not have too much to worry about. I promise I won't look back on my life and wish I had traveled more. I promise to travel when I can, whether that means going somewhere in America, driving just five hours south, or flying to Thailand for three weeks, I will make it happen. If it means going to another country to teach English, saving every penny I have to go on a two-month trip or dedicating x-amount of time each year to travel, I promise I will do it and I promise to go to as many different places as I can. I will learn from other cultures and other people as individuals. I will learn from them and learn their stories and gain a perspective on the world I am aware that I am lacking. I promise I won’t wait for someday, I will make someday today. I won't look at other people and think, “I wish I could do that” because if I execute it properly, I can do that.

I promise to stop waiting for the perfect time to be happy

The grass is always greener on the other side. Or is it? I have these notions of what life will be like at a certain age, and I end up being disappointed. I have always been a pretty happy person, but I also have this idea that I will be happier when (fill in the blank). I will be happier when I have my career, I will be happier when I graduate, I will be happier when I am financially independent, etc. I think it is fair to always be hoping for a happier future, but that is not reason let life pass me by and to not be focused on what makes me happy in the now.

The last promise I have to make to myself is that when I start to go back on my word, which I think it is inevitable I will, I promise to come back and read this article to put myself back on track. While these promises might be difficult to uphold at times, they are all ingredients to a happier life. Why wouldn’t I make that sort of commitment?