Years ago I read a book that was all about being successful. It wasn’t about the traditional definitions of success, but more the importance of defining success for your self. One of the concepts that really stood out for me was the concept of keeping your word.

This sounds innocent and simple enough, but I invite you to ask yourself how many times you say you’re going to do something, and then you don’t actually follow through on your word. How many times do you make promises, to yourself or others, that you end up breaking?

Do you believe yourself when you say you’re going to do something?

I’ve had a huge steamer trunk full of what I call “sacred objects” – photographs, old journals, tools for special ceremonies, artwork, and more – for years. I’ve traveled with it to and from college, made 8 house moves with it, and I truly treasure the things that are inside of it.

But, it’s a really large trunk, it’s an eye sore at this point in time, and I’ve been telling myself since last year that I would unpack it, sort out anything I was ready to let go of, and find another way to store the items in a new way that feels more beautiful and aligned with how I’m living today.

Last year I was just “too busy”, and taking care of this trunk just never made it to the top of my priority list. Then I had a baby and all that has happened since…  Now that things have calmed down a bit I felt it was time to do this thing that’s been weighing heavily on my mind for months.

I promised myself I would get to this task last weekend, and I actually did it. It felt so good to check that item off of my list! I felt so light and powerful and on purpose after I moved that empty trunk out of the house. It was an amazing feeling.

Looking back I realize I had made up such a big story around why I couldn’t take care of that trunk sooner. I had convinced myself that it was going to take hours to go through the trunk. I told myself I didn’t have another place or way to store the items I knew I’d be keeping (this wasn’t actually true!). I stressed myself out about it and made it into this impossible task, which in reality only took me 45 minutes to complete from start to finish!

Here’s what I learned from this:

• The stories we tell ourselves are often (usually, even) exaggerations of reality and truth.
• The elation I felt after taking care of this task was a sure sign that it really needed to happen – sooner than it did!
• Keeping my word felt so incredible to me. It increased my trust in myself and in my ability to get things done, but it also boosted my confidence. If I could do this, what else could I do?
• Making the things that weigh heavily on me a priority is a powerful way to free up my energy so that I can channel that energy into other things.

If you’re feeling exhausted or drained, or if you need a boost in your confidence and self-esteem, take care of something or complete something that’s been on your mind (and your to-do list) for some time. You’ll be amazed by how light, free and utterly capable you feel when you follow through for yourself!