Is Follow-Through the Missing Piece in Your Success?
Any golf or tennis coach teaches the importance of good follow through in your swing; what you do after the ball is struck. Follow through determines the trajectory of the ball and whether or not in lands in the desired location (or in my case, somewhere even close!).
Follow through is a quality that garnishes universal respect. We appreciate people who follow through on what they say they will do. This builds trust and is a mark of integrity. Employees move up the corporate ladder quickly when they follow through on what is asked of them in a timely manner. And, employees or bosses who don’t follow through on expectations tend to flounder.
Jesus stressed the importance of good follow through at the end of the Sermon on the Mount when He contrasted the results of a wise and a foolish builder. The wise person’s dwelling overcame all the elements thrown at it and flourished. The foolish builder’s house, however; fell with a great crash. What was the difference between them? The Scripture tells us both builders heard the Word of God, but only the wise one put into practice what they heard – they followed through!
Relational follow through is a much sought-after virtue. Unlike buying a car, when we pledge our wedding vows we are not anticipating we are merely test-driving this relationship to see how it feels. We have already determined (as best as we can know) that we want to spend the rest of our life with our betrothed. There is security in a love that is steadfast despite challenges that befall us. The results of marital follow through bring great joy to ourselves, and our families in our senior years.
We seek deep and trusting relationships with our employees/employers, neighbors, and friends. Our long-term friends are the ones who usually know us best and vice versa. We have shared great highs and weathered some lows but we stick with each other anyhow. A few committed friendships are part of the fabric of a full life. It is common to hear people say at funeral receptions, “I wish I would have…” People would like to have had closure with the deceased before they passed. There are often unspoken blessings that were never shared. They regret not following through.
Relational follow through takes work, it requires initiative, but it will always be worth it. How are you at following through? Are you a better starter than finisher? Do you procrastinate along the way thus delaying gratification? Or do you apply intentionality, discipline, and perseverance to reach the finish line?
Here are a few applications to consider:
- When working on a project, set a timer that keeps you solely focused for a set time. Then take a break.
- Keep a note in your phone for every task you say to yourself you would like to do sometime. It may be fixing something around the house, or learning to play an instrument, or an extra-mile investment in a work project. Prioritize these notes and strive to follow through with at least one on a weekly or monthly basis.
- Do you have a good friend that you’d like to make a great friend? If so, initiate some activity together and talk about how you might best support one another in the things that matter most. Most people are looking for close, long-term friendships, but few are willing to initiate talking about it. Learning to ask “Best Friend” questions is a much sought after attribute.