Everything Counts: 52 Remarkable Ways to Inspire Excellence and Drive Results

Chapter 2. Commitment Counts

"Commitment protects and strengthens your credibility and reputation with yourself and others."

Commitments present themselves in delineations of black and white; after all, you either honor your commitments, or you don't. Success is the result of making and keeping commitments to yourself and others, while all failed or unfinished goals, projects, and relationships are the direct result of broken obligations. It's that simple, that profound, and that important.

A commitment made must become a commitment honored, as each one counts in more ways than you can possibly imagine. Your ability to honor your promises directly impacts your credibility, reputation, trustworthiness, earning ability, and overall peace of mind. Character defines an individual; honoring commitments helps to define character.

Every day, you make commitments to customers, family members, and associates. Some are explicit, others implied; but each one ultimately results in success or failure. Nothing builds confidence and loyalty more reliably than a history of well-kept promises; and by the same token, nothing will undermine your reputation faster than a string of broken commitments.

If you look at successful people in any field, you may not discover that they're necessarily the brightest, best looking, fastest, or strongest of the bunch. What you will find, however, is that they are the ones with the deepest reservoir of commitment. They fully understand that all great accomplishment ...