Every one of us has a trust fund that really matters: the trust of other people. The only question is, how large is it? Many people, not knowing how important a trust fund is to their own success, are practically bankrupt in this critical account.
The way to build a large trust fund is simple and straightforward. It involves being accountable for your actions, however large or small, doing what you say you are going to do, delivering on your promises, being on time, and so forth. Anything and everything you do that reinforces your own trustworthiness is like money in the bank. Accountability is derived in both small and large doses. For example, if you tell someone you are going to call them at three ‘o’clock, or pick them up at the railway station, and you do so on time, as you say you are going to do, you earn small credits toward your trust fund.
Likewise, if you tell someone that you’ll send them a copy of a book you’ve been discussing, and you actually do it, you earn credibility with that person. If you don’t do exactly what you say you’re going to do, while any individual action or inaction may not seem like a very big deal, it decreases your credibility and reduces the size of your trust fund.
Obviously, no one is perfect. We all make mistakes, show up late, and occasionally forget appointments. It’s far easier and wiser to avoid making commitments that we can’t keep than it is to make promises, however small, that may eventually reduce the size of our trust fund.
Starting today, speak and behave with your trust fund in mind. Before you say you are going to do something that someone else is going to depend on, check in with yourself. Ask yourself, will I be able to keep this commitment? Remember, the size of your trust fund depends on it.
