However, once you have agreed to do something, don’t back out or procrastinate. Don’t hope the other party will forget or wait for them to remind you.  然而，一旦你答应了别人，不要食言或者耽搁，也不要妄想别人会忘记这件事或是等别人提醒你。

When you have given your word that you will do something, you must do it and do it when it is expected. 当你已经给出承诺时，你就必须要做到并且使其尽善完美。

After you have fulfilled your obligation (however painful), learn from the experience. 在你履行了自己的职责(却是痛苦的)，你可以从中学到很多。

Why was it so hard to follow through? Was it a matter of time, or were you ill-equipped in the first place?  为什么这么难坚持到底呢?是时间问题吗?还是你自己无能为力?

Whatever the reason, figure it out and know that it should factor into the next time you are asked to do something similar. 不管原因是什么，找到真正的原因并且避免下一次犯相同的错误。

Not only is living up to your commitments vital in building the trust and respect of others, but it is critical in building your own self-respect. 做出诺言让别人对你产生信任和尊重是很开心的，但是并不利于自己自尊心的发展。

Whether you realize it or not, when you fall back on your promises, it erodes your self-image and self-esteem.  你的食言会不利于你的形象和自尊，不知你是否意识到了这一点。

Think of the last commitment you failed to fulfill? How did this experience make you feel about yourself? 回想你自己最后一次食言的时候，你会对自己怎么看?

Becoming a person whose word can be trusted and relied upon boils down to a few basic things. 成为一个说到做到的人是做人的基础。

1. Think before you commit. With very few exceptions, you don’t have to immediately say yes or no to a request.Take an hour, an evening, or a day to think it through.  1.做出承诺前仔细思考。因为期待越小，就不会贸然给出答案。花一个小时、一个晚上或者一天细细思考。

Consider all that is involved and decide whether or not it’s something you are willing to commit your time and energy to. If not, politely decline. 考虑到所有因素看看你无时间和精力帮助别人再做决定，没有就礼貌的拒绝。

2. Once you have given your word, don’t give yourself the option to back out. 2.一旦你话已出口，不要妄想收回承诺。

I have asked myself hundreds of times, “What was I thinking when I made that commitment?”  我问过自己无数次：“我做出承诺的时候我在想什么?”

When this happens, I muster everything I have to uphold my end of the bargain. I do that because I feel so strongly that honoring my word is essential to who I am.  当事情发生的时候我就会聚集一切能够让我守诺的所有事物，因为我觉得遵守承诺代表了我个人。

It’s one of my core values. As a result, I am very careful with the commitments I make. 这是我的核心价值，因此我非常注意我所给出的承诺。

Starting today, become a person who lives up to your word and does what you say you will even when circumstances change. 从今天开始，成为一个守诺的人也可以说是对当状况改变的该说什么的挑战。

Next,uphold your word with a good attitude. Remember that it was you who said “yes” in the first place. 赞成自己的言语是一种好的态度。

Let me ask you a question, do you have any unfulfilled commitments? Do them now. You will feel better. 抓住每一个从自己的诺言中学习的机会，你就可以在未来做出更好的决定。

And finally,take every opportunity to learn from your commitments so that you can make better decisions in the future. 要记得是你自己在第一时间答应别人。

And remember,keeping your word is one of the most effective ways to earn the respect of others and build a solid reputation, both personally and professionally. 最后，你还有未兑现的承诺吗?现在就兑现，你会感觉更好。一种最有效的方法之一是--言出必行，可以赢得别人尊重并获得崇高的荣誉。