We all spend time chasing around other people who haven’t done what they said they’d do. Just imagine if everyone did everything they committed to when they said they’d do it. How much time and nervous energy would we be spared?
You can’t change other people’s habits for them but you can sure change your own. Here’s a simple way to start. First choose your battle ground – phone, email or correspondence. OK, say you chose phone. People have called you on your landline or mobile. You pick up the messages on voice mail or you might be in a position to have someone who gives you messages that someone has called. Try responding to every message within 24 hours. Try it for a week and see how you get on. See how it starts changes your relationships with people and see how it reduces your worry level.
If the call is from someone who you really need to speak to for you to progress with something that is important, then try to find out when they might be available and leave a message that you’ll call them at that time. ‘I’ll call at 4 tomorrow’. If the call is from someone who you don’t really need to speak to get on with something important to you, then leave a message asking them to call you at time that suits you. ‘Any time between 2 and 4 tomorrow is fine for me.’ Who knows you might even get through to them first time round and then you know what they’ll say? ‘Thanks for returning my call.’ Surprise surprise.
And the world turns on its axis just that little bit more smoothly…