Yes or No. Black or White. One or Zero. I will do it. I will not do it. The job is done or it’s not done … complete or incomplete.
I had a habit of using conditions and qualifiers in my speech (and I still fight this habit). I can weave a winding sentence that could confuse an insurance underwriter. The long sentence helped me avoid committing. This habit was killing me. It undercut my effectiveness in delivering consistently. Delivery is the fulfillment of a commitment.
Someone could ask me, ” Are you done writing that article?” I’d answer with “I’m working on it. I have a few more edits to make. And then I think it will be ready.” I didn’t even answer the question! I realized my answer was just a long way for me to avoid saying, “No.” I gave excuses for why it wasn’t done. I avoided the commitment. No commitment, No delivery.
Last year, I met someone who taught me to think in terms of complete and incomplete. Projects are either complete or incomplete. Tasks are done or the weren’t. Simple. Black and white.
I started speaking in concrete, yes or no language. I focused on moving things from complete to incomplete. My execution improved. My mind was clearer. And I got more done … consistently.
When it’s time to deliver, commit to be complete or incomplete. You’ll ship more consistently. Your commitment to bottom line language just might deliver bottom line results…
