Overpromising: The Silent Killer of Productivity and Relationships

“When words are many, transgression is not lacking,

    but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”

We all know someone who talks a lot. Maybe too much. Or perhaps you’ve been to a meeting, event, etc. where someone is speaking just to hear themselves. These people (and we’ve all been them at times) talk so much and then wonder why their life is filled with drama and chaos. Think of words like seeds. You are scattering seeds carelessly in a field without restraint, you’ll have an uncontrolled mess of a crop. 

Be Intentional: Managing Your Words for Success

Crops are planted with intentionality given to the rows' specific placement of the seed/plant/tree. Please don’t conflate what I’m saying with the law of reaping and sowing (i.e., if you want a bigger harvest, sow more seeds). I’m telling you to consider where you want your seeds to sprout so you can effectively manage where the crop grows. Otherwise, your sprouts can be so chaotic you can’t effectively manage the reaping and harvesting.

So that’s a long-winded (ironic given the topic, no?) analogy for running your mouth too much. Talking too much inherently leads to overpromising, saying “yes” to too many commitments, and setting too many expectations you can’t realistically fulfill for others.

How to Avoid Burnout: Setting Realistic Expectations

This leads to burnout. This is why your calendar (and mine) becomes a cluster of a mess with commitments you don’t actually care about but are now obligated to oblige. Or even worse, it leads to not fulfilling promises to the people most important to you.
I’m suggesting that the extroverts need to shut up. I’m advising you only to speak when spoken to (although there is a time and place for that). I’m saying, be conscious of how much you talk versus how much you listen. And before you speak, assess if you are committing or setting an expectation for someone else. Save your commitments for those that really matter. It will bring you more peace and improve the meaningful relationships in your life.