There is a wider picture to consider. If you find yourself faced with a decision whether or not to break a rule or commitment, to yourself or to someone else, it is worth asking how you got into that situation. These things usually do not come out of the blue.
If you committed to be at a certain place at a certain time, and find yourself running late, what happened earlier to make you late? Did you already, unconsciously, drop out on that commitment then? Did you waste time doing things that did not have to be handled at that moment? And if so, how did that happen? And so on.
And if you do find something unsatisfactory about your earlier actions, was that an isolated occurrence, or something you find yourself habitually doing?
Part of the power of committing to a rule, whether it is about a big matter or a small one, is that it gives you an opportunity to practice that exploration every time you bump up against it.
There is a wider picture to consider. If you find yourself faced with a decision whether or not to break a rule or commitment, to yourself or to someone else, it is worth asking how you got into that situation. These things usually do not come out of the blue.
If you committed to be at a certain place at a certain time, and find yourself running late, what happened earlier to make you late? Did you already, unconsciously, drop out on that commitment then? Did you waste time doing things that did not have to be handled at that moment? And if so, how did that happen? And so on.
And if you do find something unsatisfactory about your earlier actions, was that an isolated occurrence, or something you find yourself habitually doing?
Part of the power of committing to a rule, whether it is about a big matter or a small one, is that it gives you an opportunity to practice that exploration every time you bump up against it.