Dependability In the Community

“Got Priorities?”
-Jill W Tomey

Dependability is about keeping promises and following through on commitments. It seems pretty simple and can be if you have done your homework ahead of time. Your homework is knowing your priorities and goals so that you can make appropriate commitments.

Knowing your priorities takes some real time and requires real work. If you hadn’t done this work, and you were interviewed on the spot, I’m sure you could come up with priorities. Family and health are answers that frequently show up. If you’ve not done the work, then they are just answers. If you’ve done the work, then somewhere you have taken the time to think about it and write about it.

The next homework task for priorities is creating a plan or a strategy for making that happen. What does that priority look like in an average month, week, or day? What does it look like at work? Or at home? How will you know this priority is shaping decisions and actions? Can others tell this is a priority?

The third homework task is to set up a schedule for reviewing your plans and strategies throughout the year. It’s not enough to identify them and a plan on New Year’s Day or your birthday and then wait until it rolls around again to start over. A scheduled time for frequent reviews will keep the priorities and their associated plans, top of mind. It also gives you the opportunity to re-commit to the priority and make any adjustments to the plan.

Your homework is done: you have a list of priorities with plans and a review schedule. A friend asks you to help out with an event. You say yes because it is a good cause. No – wait! What? Did you think about those priorities? You did? Great! Being dependable towards your commitments it much easier when you commit to the things that are right for you.This month, commit to those things that align with your priorities and let your Dependability carry you through.