Commitment and Consistency

I have been thinking a lot about my obsession with taking pictures (on instagram) of the food I’ve been making.  I’m far from a master chef, but I’ve found myself (on this Whole30 diet I recently started) thinking of creative ways to eat delicious food so I can actually enjoy the “cleanse” (on which I’ve craved pizza from day 3.  I’m on day 6.)

It got me thinking about something I learned in a communication and persuasion class I took.  In it, we learned about the principle of commitment and consistency.  This principle states that people are more likely act in a way that is consistent with their verbal and, more so, written commitments. 
You can read about my thoughts on all six principles in another piece of writing on 2f4ced.

Did you know the Chinese had American POWs “rewrite their self image” resulting in automatic and unenforced compliance?

I whole-heartedly believe in the power of writing something down. 

I’ve applied this principle to my life many times; from writing to-do lists, to diet and exercise intentions.  When I write something down, I want to honor it, ultimately establishing that the idea or goal is harmonious with my self-image.

I verbally (and wrote in several text messages) agreed to the Whole 30 diet; my next step was to figure out how I could successfully honor my new self-image.

Pictures.

I have found that I am more likely to uphold the diet when I know that I will be taking a picture and sharing (on instagram) the food that I’ve made.  It’s my own, fun way to maintain consistency on what I’ve committed myself to.

This principle authentically transpires into our goals for Soom Foods.  We want to help people be healthier without compromising taste, time, or the difficulty of preparing what they eat.

This is where our consumer-interactive recipe database comes in to play.

Our intention is to encourage people to be proud of what they are creating with Soom Foods’ product(s).  From ingredients to presentation, it’s not for nothing.  Take a picture of your beautiful and delicious creation, share the recipe for others to benefit, too, and improve your diet in the meantime.   On instagram? Tag soomful (#soomful) when you upload so others can admire what you’ve done.

Now, I am going to write something down so I will feel compelled to do everything in my power to make it consistent with Soom Foods’ image.

-Our website will have an interactive recipe database.  Where Soom Foods’ consoomers (ooooooh. Thought of that on the spot, just now, and I like it) can share recipes with pictures.  Maybe have like buttons? Upvotes- so the most liked recipes can be at the top? (Idea from Betterific. An awesome website.) 

Woah. Not going to lie, I actually just got very excited.  The possibilities are flowing.  It’s been stated- now’s the time for me to take the steps to be consistent with my commitment!