This one might sting a little. Think about this: if you were with a friend and they left the room with their wallet sitting out, would you take their cash and leave? Of course not. Very few people would even consider doing something like that. Yet, we steal from people all the time—we steal something far more valuable than money.
Dale Carnegie once said that when you make an appointment with someone, you are assuming a trust. If you don’t keep that appointment, you are stealing from them. If you say you’re going to do something—do it. Time is the currency of life. Even the wealthiest people in the world have a limited number of days. Time is the most valuable thing any of us have.
And when we show up late, or cancel at the last minute, or don’t follow through, we are taking someone else’s most valuable resource: their time. Relationships are about quality, not quantity. When we consistently show up late, cancel loosely, or forget commitments, we dilute the quality of our relationships—and by doing so, we dilute the quality of our lives.
Make a commitment to keep your word—both spoken and digital. Let your calendar reflect your character. You will be respected and remembered for the commitments you keep just as much as, if not more than, the accomplishments you achieve.
Mark your calendar. Lock in your commitments. Don’t waste other people’s lives. Even when you don’t feel like it—show up. Time is the currency of life.
Do you keep your commitments and show up on time?Some of us do. Some of us are still a work in progress. And that’s okay—as long as we’re working on it.