When I think of the word integrity, I think of being true to your word.  So my question, quite simply is, do you do what you say you will do when you say you will do it for yourself as well as for others?  Random House Dictionary  says integrity is ‘the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.’

When we are not true to our word, when we make promises that we do not keep, we are often ‘haunted’ by the black cloud of guilt, fear, embarrassment and more.  We are then, less than whole in the present moment, as a part of us is occupied with these feelings.

We tend to be better at being in integrity around commitments to others than those promises we make to ourselves.  This difference in standards  causes us not to be whole, to be fragmented.

Consider this:  You say to yourself, “I’m going to change my eating habits and have only one helping of food at each meal.  No more seconds.”  You find yourself really enjoying a dish that a friend cooked and thinking, “Oh, what can it hurt, I’ll start my ‘one serving’ routine tomorrow.  Besides, I don’t want to hurt her feelings”  You then leave the table feeling stuffed and remorseful, beating yourself up for not living up to your intention.  Or,

You tell yourself you are not going to lose your temper and scream at the kids (or your boss) and then you realize mid-explosion, that you are doing just what you vowed not to do.  You toss and turn all night thinking about how badly you feel and wishing you could take back your words and your actions.  You worry that it is destroying your relationships.

You commit to walking two miles, 3 days a week.  While you are getting ready to go one morning, you get a phone call from a friend.  By the time you get off the phone 30 minutes later, you don’t have time for your walk because you have another appointment so you blow it off.  You know you never would have done this if someone had been waiting for you to exercise.  You feel frustrated and logy all day.

The list of examples goes on and on.

So how do you stay in integrity and follow through on your commitments to yourself as you do with commitments to others?

1. Write your intention down.  Nothing like seeing it in black and white to make it real!
2. Schedule your commitment into your calendar.  Actually block out time, as if it is important because it is!  If it is an action, schedule the action, if it is a change in how you respond, schedule time to prepare yourself for the interaction.
3. Share your commitment with a friend, family member or colleague.  Ask him/her/them to help you stay on track.
4. Find a buddy to take action with you, if appropriate.  You’re more apt to stay on track if someone else is counting on you and, you’ll have more fun.
5. Use a New Leaf Touchstone bracelet or Pocket stone to remind you of your intention.
6. Notice the difference between how you feel both mentally and physically when you are in integrity with yourself vs. when you are not.
7. Acknowledge the benefits of doing what you said you  were going to do.  If there are no benefits, find another action that will reap more rewards.

Being in integrity is not only the right thing to do, it’s an empowering act and a huge step in making the changes you want to make in becoming your whole, best self.