It’s Important to Keep Small Promises

When you think about it, we make small promises repeatedly throughout the day, each and every day. We make to them to ourselves and to each other. Many of them are nonchalant, non-committal, and we probably don’t even give them much thought. Most of them are accompanied by an infamous little word, “later.” But small promises matter and it’s important to keep them.

It’s like “The Compound Effect,” by Darren Hardy. If you improve whatever it is that you’re focused on optimizing by 1% each day, by the end of the year, you will have improved by thousands of percentage points. The same principle applies to keeping promises; but the difference is that you’re not the only one impacted. When you keep your promise and hold true to what you said that you’d do, you’re not only accountable to yourself but to others. They’re counting on you to come through. 

| If there is a difference between what you say and what you do, then your behavior is the winner. 

~Darren Hardy

What it all distills down to is integrity. If you don’t think that your words or your actions matter, you may want to rethink that sentiment. People are increasingly socially isolated (not only as a result of the wrath of COVID), digitally distracted and disenfranchised from meaningful relationships. So much of our day-to-day efforts are hinged on transactional engagements. It’s time to pause and carefully consider our behaviors so that they ultimately speak for themselves.

One of those behaviors is keeping small promises. Establishing a standard of upholding your word fosters loyalty because it demonstrates applied integrity. In today’s world of fake news, incessant advertising, sales chameleons relentlessly hustling you, spammers and scammers, engaging with someone who keeps even the smallest of promises is so refreshing. Why? Because it’s so rare.

Our behaviors matter. We need to act with intention and purpose. Being dismissive of our words and not upholding the gravitas that a promise may hold to someone else sells us short on integrity. It’s up to each of us to think about what we say and do – and that means keeping those small promises.

Keep learning and growing,

Gunjan