Why Don't Plans Work Out? How Broken Promises Erode Self-Trust | Ep. 280

Dr. Ryan McGeough is back! We're unpacking what happens when plans don't go as planned—and how that slowly erodes trust in ourselves, our follow-through, and even other people.

Here's what we're covering:

• Why broken micro-commitments chip away at self-trust
• The difference between self-confidence (broad) and self-efficacy (skill-specific)
• Attribution theory: Do you blame yourself or circumstances when goals fail?
• How the US became a low-trust culture ("stranger danger" anyone?)
• Hannah Arendt on forgiveness (breaking the past) and promises (building the future)
• Ryan's morning hack: Headspace before scrolling
• My Instagram/Facebook sabbatical experiment

The trust erosion cycle: You make plans → things don't go as planned → you stop trusting that planning matters → you break commitments to yourself → self-trust crumbles.

The key insight: Some people fail at goals and think "bad goal, bad circumstances." Others internalize it: "I'm a piece of crap." Attribution theory explains why—and how to change the pattern.

Ryan's trust lesson: That 6am lake running goal? Bad goal. Not because he can't accomplish things—because it didn't fit his reality. Now he knows which goals are longer shots and builds more structure around those.

The Valentine's Day truth: Annual goal-setting together builds trust beyond reliability. When your partner actively supports what matters to you, it creates space to take risks and pursue things that excite you—even if they don't match your 10-year-old plans.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Attribution theory
• Hannah Arendt's Between Past and Future
• Headspace app
• Self-efficacy vs. self-confidence

Connect with me:

• • Email: support@plangoalplan.com
  • Facebook Group: Join Here
  • Website: PlanGoalPlan.com
  • LinkedIn: (I post most here!) www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-mcgeough-phd-🗓️-b673334

Ready to begin? Schedule a chat about Simply Bold at plangoalplan.com