Walking your talk

When people are feeling busy and stressed, it's easy to let things slip. Important things.

With so much going on it's hard to pay full attention to everything that needs to be done. We can find ourselves making promises we can't deliver. Sometimes because of circumstances beyond our control. Sometimes not. And either way, no one wants to be that person.

This isn't just about projects and work that needs to be delivered either. This is about the promises we make to ourselves, our families and our friends.

Are we taking care of our health and well-being? Are we there for others we care about? And are we getting what we said we would do done?

There is a lot to be said for being very clear on our priorities and creating good boundaries across our life-worlds.

But the other week, I moved house and really didn't fathom how much that would impact my ability to get work stuff done. I was a little unrealistic. With my body aching all over, my mind thinking "Where did I put that?" or "Where is the cat now?" (worried he could escape some way I hadn't foreseen) I had to let go of some expectations of myself and my work.

And I felt really bad about it. If I say I will do something, I do it. So some things I had promised had to be compromised for a short time. Eating as well as I liked, journalling (my journal was packed somewhere still to be discovered, yoga (I still needed to make enough space on the floor), and working (I was distracted and exhausted).

When I think about walking my talk, doing what I say and living with integrity, I need to have my talk on a firm lead and not let it run wild, except in particular bounded circumstances. But I also need to be transparent with myself, the people I care about and my ability to achieve at work when the talk gets off the lead.

#doonethingdeep #walkthetalk