I am a big fan of follow through. If someone tells me they are going to do something, be somewhere, or support me in some way, they better follow through.
I am also a big fan of taking action. Do the thing! Don’t just talk about doing the thing. I have little patience for empty words.
As I have gotten older, I have gotten far less tolerant of inconsistency, unfulfilled promises, and repetitive apologies. You know why? Because I value integrity. And I also don’t like being disappointed.
I’m going to break it down for you real slow and tell you why consistency and commitment are important in any personal and business relationship:
- First, consistency is directly tied to trust. The more consistent you are, the more trustworthy you become. I am much more inclined to do business with and spend my time with people I can trust. People who have my back. People who follow through on their words and their promises. People I don’t have to chase around. People who meet deadlines. People who honor me through their words and deeds.
- Second, when you don’t follow through or follow through inconsistently, your own body and mind lose faith and trust in you. Say, for example, you make a commitment to do something (eat differently, be on time, put your phone away, be fully present, meet the deadline, hold stronger boundaries, be more loving to your spouse, spend more 1:1 time with your kids, exercise more, pay the bills on time, or myriad other things). If you don’t follow through on that choice, or you are spotty in your execution of the new promise, your brain knows to expect shoddy or failed results. Our inner choices and outer actions HAVE TO be aligned or we come to expect less from ourselves. Inconsistency, then, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
- We have to think about ALIGNMENT. If our beliefs, values, models and actions are not fully in agreement with one another (not fully in alignment), we feel the tension of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is the result of mental discomfort, so we change our attitudes, beliefs, actions, etc in order to reduce that discomfort and restore balance. Changing behavior can be hard, so we can reduce dissonance by increasing the attractiveness of the chosen alternative (our follow through) and to decrease the attractiveness of the rejected alternative (inconsistency, not following through).
- Think of what you are saying—to yourself and others. Are you caught in a spiral of overpromising and underdelivering? If you are, you are a person who is difficult to trust.
Why am I telling you this? And why am I making art about it? Because it’s important! Because your relationships depend on it! Because your self-esteem is tied to it!
When I am feeling frustrated in my business, it is usually because clients, customers, and vendors have proven inconsistent. When I feel frustrated in my marriage, it is largely due to inconsistency, unfulfilled and empty promises, or repetitive apologies that do not result in changed behavior. When I have to call my kids to task, it is usually due to inconsistent behavior or them not following through on their word. I feel the biggest disconnect with family and friends when they fail to follow through. When people often cancel plans last minute, offer help only to disappear when the time comes, or can’t keep a promise, you can be confident that I am taking a step back in the relationship. Bonds of blood, marriage, or friendship don’t relinquish you from being a good human and a person of integrity.
I’m at a place in my life where I value ease over almost everything else. Consistency is easy, inconsistency is difficult. I don’t have the time, the energy, or the inclination to spend on people or things that have proven themselves to be unreliable or inconsistent. Life’s too short and I have too much respect for myself.
If you find yourself in relationships, partnerships, or situations where you are losing business, people are frequently frustrated with you, or your relationships are failing…you might want to do a gut check about how you are showing up for the people in your life. Your unreliability and inconsistency might be getting you in trouble. The good news? You have the power to turn this around. Don’t wait until it is too late!
About The Artwork:
This piece is an 11×14 original and there is only ONE available. It has been created on artist grade Yupo paper. Mediums used are alcohol ink and Posca pens. Lettering and design are 100% created by my hand. This work is protected by my copyright and may not be copied, shared without artist credit, or reproduced in any way. Reposts and reblogs must give artist credit. It is currently available for sale at a cost of $225 USD, unframed. International shipping is extra. US shipping is included. Please contact me if you are interested in this piece. You will then be sent an invoice. I look forward to this piece of art making its way out into the world. ❤️
Postscript:
One of the things I am actively working on doing more consistently is writing for this blog. Prior to today’s post, I hadn’t written for 4 months. If you are a reader, and you keep coming back but there is no new content, you are going to stop coming back. I don’t want to make it hard for you to trust that I am going to meet your needs as a reader…so I am going to make some changes. There will be more content coming from me in 2019. I want to transition from long Facebook posts back to my blog (I am growing weary of social media and want to bring my content back to the place where it all started: this blog). Stay tuned…