I *almost* always keep my promises.

I was raised to believe that all you have is your word.

I promised my daughter at a mommy-daughter tea party when she was 6 years old that I would take her to the Eiffel Tower when she was 16.

When my health began to decline rapidly, I was not sure I would be here to fulfill that promise and began to dread going to the grave with a promise unkept, to my daughter of all people.?

With that thought weighing on me, I booked a gig to present a keynote at the 2022 World AI Canne Festival in France to justify the travel. I was determined to go despite the serious health concerns I was dealing with at the time. Quite literally, I was preparing myself to risk death to fulfill my promise.

In the end, I kept my promise. We got on the plane and created special memories while touring the Louvre and seeing the Eiffel Tower together.

But I have to admit there are a handful of promises I’ve purposefully reneged, particularly in my work life.

Each time, it was hard to come to the decision to go back on my word, especially at first. But it was a valuable lesson learned, and one that I do not regret because, in the end, I was doing what was best for me.

One particular instance of when I reneged on a promise was when I committed to presenting in person at Data Con in Los Angeles. Due to my health, I knew it was the best decision to make at the time to break my commitment, but that didn’t make it any easier.

I felt like I was failing. It was a hard pill to swallow.

In the end, I was lucky. I didn’t have to go back on my word completely and was able to present virtually instead.

But sometimes doing what’s best for yourself isn’t as easy as setting a boundary or breaking a promise, even if it’s always the right decision to make.?

Kate Bradley Chernis, CEO and founder of Lately, recently shared with me the tough decision she had to make leaving her successful career as a DJ:

“I was in an uber-hostile work environment and my body started to manifest the stress, physically. Eventually, it became so bad that I was diagnosed with a partial permanent disability.”

Making the decision to leave the industry she committed her whole self to was terrifying: “I was scared of no longer possessing the personality I been developing for over a decade in radio – if I wasn't "Kate the DJ," who was I?”

To hear more about Kate’s journey of doing what’s best for her and eventually founding Lately, check out this episode of my Navigating Forward podcast.

Now it’s your turn! Hit reply and let me know of a promise you reneged on or tough career decision you made so you could better serve yourself.

- Lisa

P.S. I PROMISE my upcoming book Go! is perfect for you if you’re looking to create a sustainable and fulfilling career post-pandemic. Grab the preview here.