Some of the most amazing people I know are good at the 'set-up' but lack the necessary drive and belief in themselves and respect for others to follow-through with their intentions.
Oftentimes a person will say 'well, I meant to......' 
without stopping to consider that it's too late.
There was a window of opportunity when action should have followed intention and didn't.
Just as quickly as the window of opportunity opened, it slammed shut leaving the person who 'meant to' a little bit more closed off from the world and a little bit less believable and trustworthy.
Don't let this happen to you!!
If you tell someone you're going to do something, do it!
I've lost a lot of faith in people over the years, good people, kind people, well-meaning people who had good intentions and great ideas, however that's where it all stopped cold.
They would make a promise or tell me they were going to do something, then as quickly as their thoughts were formed into words, the planned action failed to materialize.
- 'Is this something to do with their character?', I would ask myself.
- Should I trust this person?
- Should I have faith in this person? Should I count on this person to be in my corner when the going gets tough?
- Should I open my heart and soul to this person or I should I stand back a bit and be wary?
Always, always, always, it was the latter. Stand back and be wary. Love this person from a distance and feel compassion for them, but be careful.
All the great intentions in the entire world mean absolutely nothing without the follow through. Intention alone will not get you respected or loved or bring you personal and business success. Combining that great intention with appropriate action, will.
NAR says that the biggest complaint consumers have about REALTORS® is that they fail to return phone calls. They also fail to answer emails.
Why, oh Why, put your phone number and email address out there for the world to see, and then when someone contacts you (which was your great intention when you first publisized your phone number and email, wasn't it?) fail to return their call or answer their email?
Do you know how this makes you look?
Do you realize the negative impression you are leaving with people when you do this?
Making excuses down the road when the consumer contacts you once more and you decide THIS time you will take the time to answer oftentimes does no good. Human beings are designed with built in truth detectors and know when they are being snowed.
Remember, character takes a lifetime to develop and a moment to be destroyed. Are you a man/woman of your word?
Similarly, in personal relationships, do you extoll the virtues of a person you love to the world and to the person themselves, however behind the scenes betray them or commit actions that you know would hurt them if they knew?
- What does this say about you?
- Is this the kind of person you would trust?
- Is this the kind of person you would want to get closer to or spend the rest of your life with?
I think not.
All the good intentions and promises in the entire universe mean absolutely NOTHING without following through, both publicly AND privately.
Being a person of integrity is more than just the public persona you put on. It's all about who you are in your most private moments, when no one knows but you.
©2008JoSmith
Jo-Anne Smith, B.Sc.
Sales Representative
Royal Lepage ProAlliance Realty, Brokerage
Belleville, Ontario
613-922-5978 Direct
613-966-6060 Office/Pager
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Joanne, I have also found this to be true. Honestly, I do better if I do it now and not wait. If I wait I forget. I'm trying to teacch my team to Do it NOW.