Are YOU any good with FOLLOW THROUGH?
There’s a quote I’ve been forming a thought process around that originated with Ben Franklin. The quote is “Well done is better than well said” and it’s much deeper than what you might think at first blush. When I first heard it utilized in a Hallmark show, my mind immediately went to the tried and true “Actions speak louder than Words” quote that my parents were so fond of using with my pre-adult persona. They never came to appreciate my quick response of “I was a victim of circumstances” which Curly from the 3 stooges used to exclaim so eloquently even though it never worked for him either.
Back to ole Franklin’s quote. The “well done” part of the quote appears to relate to successful achievement of any worthwhile challenge, with the “well said” part of the quote implying that words have absolutely no value unless positive action is directly attached to them. It doesn’t really matter if we SAY we will do something. What matters most for the greater good of the world is what we actually achieve. The thought process associated with all this is really a sub-conscious method for measuring a person’s consistency of FOLLOW THROUGH. You know…did you complete what you said you were going to do. If not, then your words rang hollow.
Saying you will and then failing to follow through will eventually become an anchor around your neck forming a specific reputation of a person that can’t be relied upon. That’s a reputation that permeates every area of our life from co-workers to family, to members of a committee you’re on, to neighbors, to groups you may belong to, and more. Ouch! And once that reputation for not following through on what you say you’ll do gets established, it’s a very difficult thing to change. Suddenly, ALL your words ring hollow and others simply won’t believe you what you say based on your prior history. All is not lost, and there’s always room for hope, but it’s a very slippery slope to have to climb.
The alternative, making follow through one of your personal life principles which you consistently adhere to, is the easiest path to widespread respect, appreciation, and loyalty from those we interact with in life. That way your name is associated with credibility, dependability, and reliability which leads to a gain in confidence in the thought processes you utilize to problem solve, which leads to words that articulate what you’re going to do, which leads to actions that take you across the finish line, which results in positive character traits that define you all because of your ability to follow through.
While I’ve mentioned before that people judge others by their actions and judge themselves by their intentions, to experience success in life a person should be focused on our outcomes, not our intentions. Follow through can be the difference maker here. It helps shift our focus from the process to the outcome. Admittedly, I’m a person who’s easily distracted (like a dog seeing a squirrel) and with the visual, auditory, mental, and technology that’s constantly tugging at our intentions, it’s easy to get sidelined. We’re so proud of how busy we are and the number of things we’re able to juggle that we lose the focus that our follow through principles depend on. Distractions are the poison. Follow through is the antidote.
Honestly, I’m grateful that we humans don’t have an on/off switch for follow through. I’m a huge fan of the journey it takes to become consistently good at follow through. We should never fixate only on outcomes. Rather, we should embrace the education and experience we gain along the journey. We should lift high the effort, tenacity, and dedication we experience pursuing follow through that takes on a deeper role in, and benefits, every other area of our life. Over time we learn to manage the fragile balance between the destination and the journey, the processes and the goals, loving others and feeling loved by others. All critical for living a full and wonderful life.
So you…yes YOU… can begin today pondering the thought process behind the two words follow through. You can embrace the great value that follow through can have on your life. You can assess whether you’ve been saying things well or doing things in a way that it can be said of your efforts “Well done.” Develop the character trait of being a person that follows through. It will serve every area of your life well and make for a fulfilling journey through life. Remember, Hey…I Believe In YOU! GiddyUp! and FOLLOW THROUGH!