A promise is a commitment to do something or to behave in a certain way. It's an agreement between two parties. Those parties could be people, a speaker, an audience, or any two distinct bodies of people of one or more. You can make promises to yourself or the universe. 

When you make a promise, you're saying you will carry out the commitment of your words. For example: "I promise I'll call my mom every Sunday." Or: "I promise not to mow the lawn before dinner."

Promises are powerful. They motivate, inspire and influence others. Keeping your word shows respect for yourself, the others to whom you promise, and others observing your commitment. Spoken language is the most common form of communication, and your actions complete the bond by demonstrating follow-through.

Here’s what happens when you keep a promise:

• Accountability. You show reliability when someone else knows about your commitment, and you are accountable. 
• Motivation. There are tangible consequences if there's something at stake when making a promise- like losing money or disappointing a friend. So there is continued motivation to do the right thing. 
• Trust. Every time you keep a promise, you illustrate your character. Your words can be counted upon to be followed up with actions. 

But what about the power of making a promise to yourself?

It's easy to make promises you don't keep--and even easier not to follow through on them. If you are making it to yourself, you can say it’s “OK” not to do it because no one else is bothered. The above still applies. Promises to yourself are equally as impactful as to others. 

Making and keeping promises is an essential part of building relationships. A promise kept builds positive habits; broken ones reinforce the negative. Only make promises when you know you are ready to deliver on them.