Follow through. Completing the task. Doing what you said you were going to do. Finishing the project.
If you don’t start, you will never complete the task, or the project, or the dream. But, if you start and don’t follow through – it’s the same result. It doesn’t get done. An unfinished result has negative impact.
Who’s affected by our lack of follow through? Family, spouse, friends, even yourself. Others begin to lose their trust in us. Our words become empty words. The effect on us can be just as devastating. It brings on doubt, confusion, chaos.
Follow through is a daily thing. In fact, depending on the season we’re in, it can be 10-12 times a day where we may need to follow through.
Follow through is really about integrity. There are people in my life who I know will follow through on what they say. There are others in my life that their words simply go in one ear and out the other, because follow through doesn’t happen.
Follow through is about making sure what you commit to others is completed. It’s about having the discipline to finish what you promised or what you started.
We think highly of a person who keeps their promises and follows through.
This isn’t to say that there won’t be times where we are not able to follow through. If that happens, be aware of it, and let the other party know. In a way, that is following through.
How do we follow through? I take notes. Today’s technology gives us a variety of ways. Record a note on your cell phone. Or, type a note on your cell phone. Carry notecards or a small pad with you. Write it down. Then, follow through with the notes. Do something with them after you write it down! Maybe it means looking at them at the end of the day or the start of the next day to see what you need to follow through on. Or, placing the follow through items on your calendar.
If you find yourself having to do a lot of follow through, one of several things may need to happen. 1) Learn to say no, 2) Learn to give a response that doesn’t require follow through. Even a response that says “I don’t have time to do that”, or “I’m not comfortable pursuing that” is better than saying you will follow through and you don’t. It’s also another way of saying ‘no’. The third option: delegate.
What is it you need to follow through on today?
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