Follow Through
Following through is a phrase we think of our parents and grandparents saying to us. For many, it can bring memories of our childhood, moments that weren’t our best, times when we wished the world would swallow us up. Yet, this simple phrase is perhaps one of the most important phrases of our lives, the one phrase that has the ability to make or break our success.
Before we go into the importance and following-through, let’s clarify a few things. In this blog, success does not refer to professional success, rather it refers to the completion of goals, personal growth, and investment in relationships. If upon reflection of a petition or commitment, you realize that completing said action will have a negative effect on your life, goals, and family, and you choose to walk away for the benefit of your mental health, this is not a moment of lack of follow through, this is a moment of understanding your mental health, what you are capable of, and what are healthy commitments. By no means are we stressing in this article that you must follow through no matter what, rather we are hoping to give you tools to help you follow through on moments that have the capacity to positively move you forward.
Following Through
If we are to define following-through, it is quite simply doing what you said you will do. Should something happen which does not allow you to complete your commitment, owning the missed action and working to follow through as quickly as possible is your next best option. Life happens, and in the chaos of handling these moments, we can lose sight of our commitments. Simply handle the moment in front of you, and then readjust, following through as quickly as you can.
Why is follow-through important?
In a world of instant gratification, selfies, and social media, society is becoming more and more fake. We have learned how to pose, use lighting, and camera angles to make us Instagram perfect, but we have forgotten the importance of daily workouts, and good nutrition. The fakeness we are surrounded by has created an epidemic of jadedness, people believe what they see, not what is real. In order to get people to truly see us, to learn how to build true relationships and trust, we must give respect, be genuine, and be authentic.
The easiest way to be genuine and authentic is to follow through on what we say we will do. If we say we will be at a meeting, be there. If we commit to volunteering, make sure you are on-site and ready to work when you said you would be there. People are much more apt to judge what they see, than what people say. The purpose of following through is to provide action to our words. To show people we are who we say we are.
How to follow-through
Quite simply, do not commit to something you cannot complete. If you know you are going to be out of town, don’t say you will be somewhere. There is no reason, no purpose of being everywhere all the time. Rather, choosing to be where we can add value, invest in others, and fill our cups is more important. Looking at activities, commitments, and responsibilities in this light will allow us to better use our time, to be better people, to know what we can and cannot commit to.
A very easy and simple way to follow through is to thank someone for their time, to send a thank you card after a meeting, or a quick text just to reach out and let someone know you were thinking of them. While these may not seem like follow-through actions, they are. They are putting into action your words of gratitude for a meeting, your commitment to a friendship.
A great way to make sure you always follow through is to make a list of what you committed to in an interaction immediately after the interaction. If you are in a meeting, at the end of the meeting review the next steps and who has committed to each step. Dedicate 30-minutes each day to follow-through activities. Create routines to ensure you complete all follow-through activities.
Benefits of following-through
When you meet a person who does what they say they will do, who commits with the intent of completing an action, you soon desire to be around this person more, to learn from them, and to work with them. Such people are more successful, opportunities abound, and connections are never-ending. When you practice follow-through, you are taking active steps into becoming this person. You are choosing to put positive action into the universe. You are investing in future opportunities.
Actions precede rewards. When you invest in others, when you do the work, follow-through, success, and opportunities find you. Learning to follow through, to commit to only what you can successfully complete when you create daily routines to ensure you successfully follow through, you will achieve more than the success you sought, you will create a life beyond your wildest imagination.
Sincerely,
Sara O
