The two sentences in the image above may seem simple, but I will tell you: these are truths of life that make a bigger difference than we give them credit for.
On the first sentence.
If you want to stand out, do what you say you will do.
I am on a plane, and the gentleman sitting beside me struck up a conversation.
We both realize we are somewhat new to the Orlando area, and he asks me what I do, and I ask him the same. He shares that he works in construction, and I ask him how that is going in such a tough market.
He then says, “Business is booming for me and my company because we always show up on time, and just doing that makes a huge difference.”
Although I did a little construction work during my summers in college, that abruptly stopped after I shot a nail into my hand (not kidding), I do not know much about the industry.
But if you have ever had any home renovations or similar work, you may have noticed that showing up on time is rare in the field. I swear I even saw a truck whose business was called “On Time Construction,” and if a business name ever resonated, that was one of them. Sometimes, just doing what you say you are going to do is going to make you stick out from the crowd.
Now, I have never been perfect in this regard, and have had last-minute things come up, but I do everything I can to honor my commitments not only to others but also to myself. If I have to cancel a meeting with someone else, I know it is not just the inconvenience of that meeting, but the plans made because of it, before and after. If I plan to talk with someone from 3-330 PM, I know they probably have something planned before and after, many times around that meeting. The domino effect is real.
If you are reading this and feeling bad because you have had to cancel a few times for a significant reason, don’t feel bad.
But if you are reading this and you do that all the time, you should feel bad.
But I also keep those same commitments to myself.
If I say, “I am going to run 5 miles today,” I get that done. If I have to walk or crawl, I get it done. Barring injury, that goal gets done.
For the past 18 months, I have done 500 pushups every day. Sometimes I can do 80 at a time, and other times, I might max out at 25. It is a good gauge of how I feel at the start of the day.
But if I finish that 500 by 7 am or 11:59 PM, it is getting done that day, somehow.
If I don’t keep my word to myself, it is easier to let others down, and vice versa.
If you want to excel, go beyond what you said you would deliver.
But you can also do more than what is expected.
Although I commit to 500 pushups each day, I always try to do more.
Perhaps I counted wrong and missed a couple, so doing extra ensures that I didn’t just get it done in theory, but in reality.
I will never feel bad for doing more pushups in a day than I said I would. But if I did less, that would weigh on me.
And the same is true with how others can make you feel by going above and beyond, even if it is just slightly.
When I speak at events, I tell people the time I plan to arrive at the venue, and I aim to be there 15 minutes earlier. Even if I am five minutes late in my mind, I am 10 minutes early in theirs. And that makes people take notice. On inquiries, I say I will respond within 48 hours, but I set the expectation for myself to respond within 24 hours, if not sooner.
I learned this from the actions of the best superintendent I ever had.
She was someone I looked up to tremendously, and when she asked me to meet at any time, no matter how early I arrived, she was always there earlier, eager to see me. When your boss makes you feel important by showing up early, it permeates the organization and makes you feel valued.
But I have also worked for bosses who always show up late to meetings, tell you how busy they are, and say they had to do so-and-so for someone else. Many would say this is mismanagement of time, but often it is mismanagement of priorities.
In a video I saw years ago, someone had mentioned that if they gave the person a million dollars, and they showed up at a particular place by 5 am, what time would they be there? They responded by 4:55 AM to ensure they got that money. It was proof that it meant enough to someone that they would be on time.
And although the million-dollar scenario is unlikely to happen (right? RIGHT?), it is frustrating when someone is on time for others, and late for you. It is not said, but implied, “They matter more to me than you.” That individual act can create a toxic organizational culture. “I am on time for those above me, and I am late for those below me.” No matter your job, you are not above or below anyone, so act accordingly.
Although this might feel personal, there have been many times in my life when I have fallen short of both of these standards, which is why I am writing this. If you have fallen short in the past, it is all the more reason to go above and beyond in the future.
Embrace these two ideas:
If you want to stand out, do what you say you will do.
If you want to excel, go beyond what you said you would deliver.
And you will be surprised at how much more opportunity will come your way.
You are never too young to learn this, and never too old to realign your practice.
When you set the standard for yourself incredibly high, you will often surpass the expectations of others.
(Check out this short Instagram video where I discuss this very topic!)
