My goal for 2023 is to focus on integrity. Integrity is an interesting concept because it should be common and yet is not. It is a word that has a weird connotation. In many aspects, it is a word that creates feelings of guilt and shame. On the other hand, the word integrity can be inspirational and encourage us, or empower us to step up our game and be better.
Holding ourselves accountable to our word and the expectations set for us is the definition of integrity. So often we encounter people who do not act with integrity and it ends up feeling scummy. It is difficult to trust people who don’t act with integrity and hold themselves accountable showing that they are indeed trustworthy. Having integrity is doing the right thing when no one else is watching, when it’s not a performance, and when the only one who will know what actually happened is yourself and God.
The lines of what is right and wrong have gotten blurred over the many generations since God’s 10 commandments were inscribed on stone tablets, however it is not as complicated as we sometimes make it seem. When you promise to do something, it is your responsibility to accomplish the task. If you are unable to do so for whatever reason, speak up and communicate the change in expectations. If you have clients and they expect a correctly completed project but you cut corners, it is true that they may never find out but the point is that it was completed without the highest level of integrity which then could lead to disastrous consequences and distrust.
The golden rule is to treat others the way you want to be treated. Whether it is treating other people a certain way, completing a project, or following through on a promise, it is essential that we care enough, respect ourselves enough, and respect others enough to do what is right from start to finish.
We are of course all just human and we do make mistakes, but there is a difference between making mistakes and cheating the system. My advice, for what it’s worth, is to listen to the nagging thought in the back of your mind, take the extra minute or two, and respect yourself, the client, and the work to do the right thing to the best of your ability.
From Frozen 2: “Then I’ll make the choice to hear that voice and do the next right thing.”
