In the realm of personal development, setting goals is standard practice, but former NATO speechwriter Matthew Cossolotto suggests a paradigm shift: turning important goals into heartfelt promises. This concept serves as the foundation for his latest book, Harness Your PromisePower. The book explores what Cossolotto calls the new frontier in personal change, arguing that while people easily change or abandon goals, they are inherently reluctant to break a promise.
Cossolotto’s PromisePower project has garnered significant attention, most notably from Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, who provided the book’s foreword. Canfield writes:
“When Matthew first told me about the heartfelt promise he made to his mother and that he was launching a special day called “Make A Promise Day” on May 4th, I was hooked…There was something very attractive, almost magnetic, about this concept. And I say that as somebody who has been intimately involved in the personal development field for many years. I’ve seen and heard just about everything.”
Several more excerpts from Canfield’s extensive and revealing foreword appear in this feature story, including the purpose-defining promise Canfield made to God at the age of 27: https://www.timesla.com/jack-canfield-co-creator-of-the-chicken-soup-for-the-soul-series-contributes-an-extensive-and-revealing-foreword-for-matthew-cossolottos-new-book-harness-your-promisepower/
Within the pages of Cossolotto’s book is a practical and highly accessible application of this philosophy: “A Promise a Day Program: Thirty Days to a Promising Future.” The daily exercise is built on a series of personal empowerment promises, functioning as what the author cleverly describes as a “pep talk in every promise.” Cossolotto explains that countering the natural human tendency to backslide requires habitual internal reinforcement through positive self-talk, affirmations, and optimistic expectations. Because a promise is backed by strong emotional commitment, it becomes the ultimate driver of his GPS Success Formula: Turn Goals into Promises = Success.
The roots of this empowerment program tap into a rich history of positive thinking. Cossolotto’s concept aligns closely with Optimist International, a global organization of over 2,900 clubs dedicated to bringing out the best in youth. The organization is renowned for “The Optimist Creed,” originally penned by Christian D. Larson in his 1912 book “Your Forces and How to Use Them”.
Larson’s original text appeared under the heading “Promise Yourself,” which essentially served as a collection of personal empowerment promises. Inspired by these enduring words, Cossolotto launched his 30-day program to provide individuals with daily, optimistic “thought bursts” designed to keep them moving purposefully in the right direction.
To maximize the benefits of these daily promise-powered pep talks, Cossolotto encourages a highly intentional, structured approach. Readers are advised to start their day by thoughtfully absorbing that day’s promise, focusing on its keywords, and internalizing its meaning. To ingrain the message, the program suggests writing the promise down at least ten times without rushing, allowing every word to deeply sink into the subconscious mind.
This practice is further reinforced by repeating the promise aloud or silently throughout the day until it naturally becomes a part of one’s perpetual self-talk. The author emphasizes that a person’s habitual internal dialogue ultimately determines their destiny, which gives rise to one of his trademark taglines: Success is an inside job.
To give you a sense of how each Promise-a-Day promise appears in the book, here are three examples. It’s important to note that each promise begins with what Cossolotto refers to as the two magic words: I Promise:
Day 1: Personal Empowerment Promise #1
Adapted from Christian D. Larson
I PROMISE to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
Day 6: Personal Empowerment Promise #6
I PROMISE to follow the Golden Rule and always treat others as I want to be treated myself.
Day 11: Personal Empowerment Promise #11
Adapted from Christian D. Larson
I PROMISE to focus my thoughts and attention on what I want in my life, not on what I don’t want, because what we focus on expands.
For those seeking a more condensed approach, Cossolotto highlights a core group of ten promises spanning days twenty through twenty-nine of the program. The first letters of these core promises spell out the acronym SUCCESSFUL. Cossolotto urges individuals to make a solemn promise to:
Shoulder responsibility for my life and destiny.
Unite with eagles by associating with positive role models.
Carpe Diem (Seize the Day), regularly taking action and seizing opportunities.
Cultivate enthusiasm, purpose and happiness in my life.
Empower myself by embracing continuous self improvement.
Set my course, in alignment with my purpose, my passion, and my dreams.
Sow optimism and joy in my life and the lives of others.
Focus on financial freedom, purposefully receiving abundance in my life and helping others do the same.
Unleash the power of gratitude by regularly counting my blessings … and ultimately, I promise to…
Love. To love my life and create a legacy of love.
The journey culminates on day thirty with a final, overarching commitment: A solemn promise to keep one’s promises, and to help others keep theirs.
Photo Credit: Rosen-Jones Photography
This comprehensive approach to personal change and achievement is a natural evolution of Cossolotto’s high-profile communications career. Having served as a speechwriter for top officials at NATO headquarters, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Chancellor of UCLA, he has spent decades mastering the art of authentic communication and motivation. He distills this expertise into his Triad Empowerment System, which interconnects habits, speaking, and promises. His insights into effective public speaking and turning stage fright into stage delight are detailed in The Joy of Public Speaking and this recent article Medium.com: From Stage Fright to Stage Delight — Matthew Cossolotto’s Secrets of Whole Brain Speaking.
Ultimately, Cossolotto’s overarching mission is to help millions of people around the world reach their peak potential, on and off the podium. The mechanisms for doing so are explored thoroughly in Matthew Cossolotto’s Gap and Snap: How the Six Axioms and Empower-Me Band Boost Self-Awareness and Spur Personal Change and Peak Performance.
By consciously turning important goals into heartfelt, unbreakable promises, individuals can discover a heart-centered pathway to peak performance in their personal and professional lives. This is the GPS Success Formula in action.
For more information about Matthew Cossolotto’s books and speaking programs, visit https://matthewcossolotto.com
