Our choice between PROMISES versus PITFALLS is a no-brainer BUT here's the catch. More often, PITFALLS are tied up to those PROMISES via that uncut umbilical cord, believe it OR not. BUT please DON'T get me wrong. I'm NOT about to wage a solitary war against PROMISES because through the years, I did make and pledge on multiple PROMISES to myself, to my family, to my close coterie of friends and YES, even to my trusted confidants and colleagues at the workplace. BUT alas, I have to admit that all throughout, I was as innocent as a pre-school boy that each time I spew out and drip my blood as I swear to a PROMISE, right alongside it are the PITFALLS arising from the PROMISE I just seemed to have etched in stone. Irony here is that our sheer intent for PROMISES may cause us to be exposed with PITFALLSπππ
We all agree that PROMISES are the very bedrock of forming the foundations of trust within families, teams and organizations. And WHEN an individual commits to deliver specific outcomes, that PROMISE alone establishes a clear expectation that the receiver [of the PROMISE] can depend on. That act of keeping PROMISES builds our own credibility and can even foster accountability within ourselvesπππ
Before we get lost along the way, let's increase our awareness of the most common reasons WHY some PROMISES fail to be fulfilled:
- OVERPROMISING and/or UNDERESTIMATING
- LACK of CLARITY of a PROMISE
- CHANGING PRIORITIES
- SHIFTING of FOCUS
- INSUFFICIENT SUPPORT STRUCTURE
- UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES
- LACK of ACCOUNTABILITY
Our takeaway: PROMISES are always a critical component in our life. Take that away from life, we could end up like a seed planted in the parches deserts in the Middle East [except if that is a cactus]. And, even as PROMISES can be fragile enough, understanding the common PITFALLS of PROMISES can help us to proactively 'nip things in the bud'. Frankly, there are more UPSIDEs of PROMISEs even if those PITFALLS may arise. That's WHAT we should be up to dude!!!