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When we make a promise to ourselves we are creating a statement about what we want to achieve - our dreams and goals.

When we see tempting career advancements and want to do something about them, the promises we make won’t guarantee we’ll get them.

In fact, less than a third of the promises we make work out.

The following statistics show how unsuccessful making promises are:

We only keep a disappointing 28% of our promises

Of those, 12% will be changed because they’re just too hard

We can’t seem to maintain our promises for a year with a huge 60% of them being dropped.

So, what is stopping us from fulfilling our promises?

Our habits are stopping us from making our promises become a reality. More importantly, they are the leading factors affecting career development in mid-level managers.

We don’t have to be slaves to our habits. We can make positive changes which will have a significant impact on our lives.

By following the three steps outlined below and meeting our habits head on we can triple our chances of meeting tempting career advancements.

Think about how you could get that promotion you desire. You could create an ambitious idea to impress your boss. You might plan to bring in results; bigger and better than before. And you do this with heightened optimism, renewed zeal and boundless energy. All this because you truly hope that you will get that promotion. However, you never quite get there. Factors affecting career development in mid-level managers are situated deep down and are stopping you from fulfilling your great plans.

Our habits let us down.

It is always more difficult to keep the promises that we make to ourselves. We often don’t realize that it is our habits which are holding us back. We actually hide behind them when things start to get tough.

We do it all the time, and sometimes without knowing.

Imagine you want to lose weight for an important event like a wedding or graduation. You fill your cupboards with healthy food and throw out all the junk food. And for a few days or maybe weeks, you are strict and keep your promise to only eat healthy.

However, things go awry when someone brings a cake into work. You quickly fall back into the habit of eating unhealthy food. Did you know your habits actually control 40% of what you do each and every day? Almost half of what you do is controlled by habits which are holding you back from achieving your goals.

So, what’s the best way to stop those habits interfering with the promises you make?

Determination.

Determination is the one thing that will make sure you are honest with yourself. You will need to practice and nurture your determination to overcome your habits.

Here are 3 steps you can take that are guaranteed to increase the likelihood of you keeping your promises threefold.

Step 1 – Visualize success and reach for it

Sit down during a quiet moment in your day and visualize what your life will be like when you get your new promotion. The best times are first thing in the morning and last thing at night. You could even practice visualizing your goals while riding public transport or over lunch.

Imagine - what will your new office look like? What will you wear? How will others speak to you? The more you see these images the more your brain will believe they are possible. You will be creating your own reality before it actually happens. This develops and strengthens your determination to succeed. It may seem too easy to be true, but visualization is an important part of determination. Have you ever spoken to someone who you considered to be determined and asked them how they see their goals?

Step 2: Failure is not an Option

This famous quote - Failure is not an Option - comes from the NASA Flight Director, Gene Kranz. If you become fixed on your goals you will succeed. If you want a promotion and decide that nothing less will do then failure is simply not an option. The last thing you should consider is accepting second best or falling back on a Plan B.

Many people may visualize what they want, but they always undermine it with Plan B’s. You may hear them say things like:

If I don’t get promoted I’ll go back to school and study

If they don’t promote me, I’ll find a better job

I’ll leave this company if I don’t get the promotion I want.

Having a Plan B may seem logical and practical, but it can undermine and weaken your determination. You should never consider it because you shouldn’t take your eyes off the prize – that promotion you want and deserve. You need to make sure nothing else matters.

Step 3: Nothing worthwhile in life is free

You are not going to achieve your goals without any sacrifices. When you want something really badly you are going to have to give up something else to get it. Nothing in life is free and there are no free lunches either.

If you need to take time to create a compelling presentation, you’ll need to cut your lunch time down. You may also have to stay back instead of heading home for the weekend. You may even have to get up and get to the gym so you are mentally and physical prepared for the new promotion.

Strengthening and developing your determination means making the sorts of choices that will ensure your goals become a reality.

Start today and increase your chances of promotion by 300%

And always remember:

Great managers are made. Not born.

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