How many times have you said any of the following:

• We should catch up
• Let’s go out for drinks
• Oh – I’ll send you his contact info
• I’ll reach out and let you know what she says
• We will definitely celebrate together soon

…and then never actually did it? Yep – me too. It happens – it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person it just means that you should be more honest with yourself and more careful with your words.

I’ve found a new type of list thanks to my Lists & Libations group – it’s called an integrity list. One of the members, Al, told me all about how he uses them. Basically it’s a list of all the things that you say you are going to do so you hold yourself accountable for those actions. Things like calling a friend or meeting up with a co-worker – you say you will do them — but will you ever actually do them? If you keep an integrity list you will be more mindful of the promises you make.

Amazing concept right? I thought so too.

I think people throw around these terms and phrases because they are space fillers during awkward moments.  But often times they are just baseless. Al says one of the worst things you can do is go against your word.  What if the person you promised was really counting on going to dinner or getting that contact and you flaked out on them? That’s not how you want to be perceived. I’m going to start my own integrity list right now and make sure that I choose my words wisely from now on. You should too!