Personal Development Videos

prom·ise /ˈpräməs/ a statement telling someone that you will definitely do something, or that something will certainly happen in the future. In his talk, Alex Sheen explores the science behind making and keeping promises. Alex Sheen is the founder of because I said I would, a social movement and nonprofit dedicated to bettering humanity through promises made and kept. Sparked by the loss of his father, Alex and his organization send “promise cards” to anyone anywhere in the world at no cost. Alex is someone who truly honors commitment. He once walked over 240 miles across the entire state of Ohio in 10 days to fulfill a promise. In less just two years, because I said I would has sent over 2.4 Million promise cards to over 152 different countries. The promises written on these cards have made headlines around the world. His charitable projects and awareness campaigns have been featured on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, CNN, The Today Show, NPR, The Los Angeles Times and many other programs. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Because I said I would Interview with Katie Spotz. After 70 days alone at sea, Katie Spotz became the youngest person to row the Atlantic Ocean solo at age 22. No stranger to overcoming challenges, Katie ran across the Mojave Desert unsupported, cycled across America twice and is also the first person to swim the 325-mile Allegheny River. Katie was named a 2010 Glamour Woman of the Year. Throughout her adventures, Katie wasn't just seeking to make history. She was also raising money for safe drinking water projects around the world, totaling over $275,000 in funding.

This video from because I said I would discusses how writing goals and promises makes an impact on achievement rates. Founder Alex Sheen discusses a study done by Dr. Gail Matthews. Here is a link to a summary of her study: http://www.dominican.edu/academics/ahss/undergraduate-programs/psych/faculty/assets-gail-matthews/researchsummary2.pdf Because I said I would is a social movement and nonprofit dedicated to the betterment of humanity through promises made and kept. For more videos and stories, visit http://becauseisaidiwould.com

This is a "how to" style video from because I said I would about time management and maintaining a calendar. Making promises is easy. Keeping them is another story. One of the best tools to help maintain commitments is the calendar. Alex Sheen, Founder of because I said I would, explains how he manages his calendar, gives five calendaring pro tips and talks about the benefits of the calendar. We would love your feedback on this video! Subscribe to get more content like this! http://becauseisaidiwould.com

Always. Never. Every time. Anytime. No matter what. Do we really mean what we say? Promise statements should be much more literal than they often are. People who are good with their promises are often very good with their word choice. How can we get better at meaning what we say? Watch this new video called “Bad Word Choice Means Bad Promises” and learn more about how to sharpen your language. Tell us what you think and share this video with those who might benefit from it! This Learning Topic was shared first through our local #becauseisaidiwould chapters for adults, but is a great resource for character education in schools. See more Learning Topic videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE2TdQrX4cm6H2ezpa5rEaZB_FdocbaHH

Have you been unsuccessful at keeping your resolutions? You are not alone. Social Scientists have been investigating how successful Americans have been with their New Year’s resolutions since 1972. Learn the history of resolutions and what you can do to get better at making and keeping your promises.

Death rates from heart surgery decreased by 40% with a simple piece of paper. The human heart is the most complex organ, so how have the numbers decreased so dramatically? Atul Gawande, author of Checklist Manifesto, believes it’s because of a simple tool: The Checklist. Surgeons are discovering what airline pilots learned decades ago: The human brain can’t remember everything, so it’s best to focus on the complicated challenges and leave the simple reminders to a cheat sheet. A well planned checklist can help you keep your promises.

Breaking promises and lying are not only philosophically similar, they are biologically similar. What do you do after you break a promise? Or perhaps after someone breaks a promise to you? No one has a perfect batting average on promise keeping, but it is incredibly important to remain accountable for your actions and reactions. Learn six steps to handle broken promises.

You can see a broken promise coming before it happens. You just have to calculate it's Point of No Return. This video discusses how to adjust plans when things look like they are going south.

The more promises you make, the more work you need to do. The more you become a person of honor, the more stressed you will be because promises are hard to keep. Here are five tips for stress management that will help you make and keep your promises.

In today's culture, we are always being told to buy more, do more, want more. We buy these items and schedule these commitments, but rarely stop and think, "Is this truly what we want to spend our time on?" When you simplify your life, you are able to focus on your goals and the things that are most meaningful to you. Whether it means de-cluttering your closet, giving up a bad habit or reevaluating your calendar, life simplification can make a big difference in reaching your goals.

When a pandemic strikes, people are rapidly dying, and there are too few resources to save everyone; how do you choose who should live and who should die? Perhaps you save the youngest or the sickest. Maybe you just put all the names in a hat and pick at random. Above all, who should make these decisions? Contemplate which principles are most important in guiding decisions about how to allocate scarce healthcare resources during a crisis.

As an organization, we have supporters from all walks of life and have seen many incredible promises made and kept after the death of a loved one, including our founder. A death is often one of the strongest origins for a promise. The next time someone you know and love is grieving this information will help prepare you on the grieving process, how one grieves, things to avoid saying, a transformative process that may occur after someone grieves a person’s death, and contemplating one’s own inevitable last breath.

Being nice is the right thing to do. It may sound elementary, but often in life we meet people who are simply not nice, maybe even our own family members or coworkers. There are many good people in this world and there is power in modeling the way. Learn how, by simply being nice, you can keep your promises and help others too.

Did you know that people with gambling addictions can voluntarily add their names to a "lifetime ban" list at a casino? Precommitment is a tactic that helps keep promises by doing something right now that limits one's options in the future. You may even being using precommitment strategies in your life without even realizing it! Watch this video to learn 5 strategies for precommitment and how to apply it to your life and help you keep your promises.