Keeping to your word even if you do regret it afterwords

So I'm doing my interfaith understanding bit this year as I said to one of my fellow chaplains, in a cultural exchange kind of way, that I'll do Lent this year. What was I thinking? I have never done Lent before even when I was an Anglican, OK I was only a kid then so just thought more about the pancakes at the beginning & the chocolate eggs at the end & didn't pay much if any attention to the bit in between. So I'm keeping my word & have finally decided what I'm giving up for Lent & that is alcohol, oh joy. So if I'm regretting saying that I will do it, why don't I change my mind & not do it? I suppose it is the principle of the matter & that I will be keeping my word so I don't end up with the feelings of guilt, after all I haven't promised to do something that beyond my capability & there is no physical/legal/moral reason for me not to do it, so I feel honour bound to do it. Will I get ultimate satisfaction out of keeping my word on this account, time will tell, it does mean no ale after all.

So if you back out of something you have said the biggest person you have let down is yourself, generally, & people may not take you so seriously in the future or even rely on you as much. If you stick to your word you can be pat yourself on the back afterwards for being as good as your word & in my case revarnish the alcohol cupboard after I have spent 40 days scratching at it in eager anticipation. Must go as I also gave my word over the coming weeks I'll be in a little earlier at the chaplaincy during Lent.

And for all of you who are little concerned or waiting in hope, I'm not looking to convert back to Christianity. So it is spoken so shall it be (OK I'm not entirely sure it needed the cliché at the end).