Commitment Issues?

Take an inventory during your day where you write down all the commitments you make. I am talking about ALL of them. Not just the commitments that are formally made to others, but all the commitments you make...including just to yourself. You will find this simple exercise remarkable.

I feel strongly that most accountants are very conscientious. We want to take on new responsibilities. We want to be able to say YES to people. The problem, if you get stuck in doing that unconsciously, can be predictable: over promising and under delivering.

But before you judge yourself on your ability to keep commitments, you must first understand what all the commitments are you are making. It can get pretty detailed. For example - you set your alarm at night at 6:00 am for the next day -- is that a commitment you are making to yourself?

Ask yourself:

Do I make commitments too easily? Too quickly?

Do I make commitments with a real perspective on what I am committing to and how much time and resources that commitment will take?

Do I hold myself accountable for ALL commitments?

Should I be making commitments less?

How could making less commitments actually help with keeping more commitments?