Most people don’t fail because they lack ambition. They fail because they rely on memory, motivation, and feelings which are three things that collapse under pressure. A promise, especially one to yourself, is like a contract. Contracts require structure, reminders, and enforcement. Below is a 10-step execution framework grounded in principles Leila Hormozi consistently preaches: design for follow-through, remove friction, and let systems - not emotions- do the heavy lifting.
1. Define the Promise in Binary Terms
If your promise isn’t measurable, it’s not enforceable. “Get healthier” is not a promise while “train 4x per week” is. Binary outcomes eliminate loopholes and excuses.
2. Shrink the Time Horizon
Long timelines kill execution. The brain discounts future rewards. Anchor the promise to what must be done today or this week. Short cycles create momentum. Use the Promise Piece Tracker app to track your progress!
3. Attach the Promise to Identity
Behavior follows identity. Stop framing this as something you’re “trying” to do. Operate as someone who keeps promises - period.
4. Write It Down and Set a Reminder
If the promise lives only in your head, it will be overridden by urgency. Write it down. Set a daily or weekly reminder. This removes reliance on memory and forces confrontation with the commitment. Write down your promise on the Promise Piece Promise Card you get with your order and in the Promise Piece Tracker app!
5. Create a Physical Reminder (Promise Anchor)
Out of sight = out of mind. A physical object tied to the promise acts as a constant interrupt. Wearing your Promise Piece daily reinforces, “This is who I said I would be.” Tangibility increases compliance.
6. Remove Choice from Execution
Decisions drain energy. Pre-decide when, where, and how the promise is executed. If you’re negotiating with yourself, the system is broken.
7. Engineer the Environment
Your environment will outwork your willpower. Make the right action obvious and the wrong one inconvenient. Layout, tools, calendar blocks - optimize for default success.
8. Track Relentlessly (But Simply)
You don’t need complexity. You need visibility. Streaks, checkmarks, or a simple log work because humans hate breaking consistency. Use the Promise Piece Tracker app to track your progress!
9. Add Real Consequences
No stakes, no follow-through. Tie the promise to accountability - social, financial, or reputational. If breaking the promise costs nothing, expect it to be broken.
10. Review Systems, Not Feelings
Missed execution isn’t a moral failure - it’s a systems failure. Review what broke, fix the process, and continue. Emotional spirals kill momentum.
Bottom Line
People don’t keep a promise by “wanting it more.” They keep promises by designing reminders, anchors, and systems that make forgetting or quitting harder than following through. Treat your promise like an operational commitment. Make it visible. Make it tangible. Then execute.