The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty.  ~Zig Ziglar

We must do the right thing in our life even when it’s not convenient for us.  This is called integrity.  Here are several ways that we can build trust and do the right thing.

1.  Do what you say you will do.

This seems simple enough, but how often have you experienced people doing the exact opposite?  As a customer, I have seen this numerous times.  I get told the work will be done tomorrow and then it is not.  We must set the right expectations with others and then live up to those expectations.  Make sure that your actions exactly meet your words.  If they do not, then people will not trust you.  Another way that people fail in this area is by not giving their employer a full eight hour workday.  You agreed to this when you took the job so do it.  We must be sure to do what we say we’ll do in every area of our lives.

2.  Work at an honest profession.

Do you firmly believe that what you do for a living is benefiting others?  If not, then I would suggest seeking other employment.  We can’t really get ahead and be happy in life if we aren’t doing something that we feel has meaning.  Does the company you work for conduct its affairs in an ethical manner?  Are you fair and consistent with your customers?  If not, these things can come back to bite you.  People will eventually discover these disparities and then your reputation will be tarnished.  Be sure you work at an honest profession.

3.  Meet your financial obligations as agreed.

Pay your bills!  I think most people know they should do this, but they often fail to manage their finances appropriately to avoid getting overextended.  Do you have a written budget?  Do you keep track of what you spend and manage your money so you can pay your bills on time?  Meeting your financial obligations is a key indicator of your trustworthiness.  I mentioned in Reality Check – Are You Doing What It Takes To Get Ahead in Life? that employers now run credit checks prior to hiring people.  This is one way they check to see if you can be trusted.  It would be terrible to miss out on the next great job offer simply because you didn’t pay your bills on time.

4.  Make sure your handshake is better than any contract.

If you made an agreement with someone verbally or otherwise always, always, always fulfill your end of the bargain.  You must do this even if it turns out not to be in your best interest.  If you give people a reason to doubt whether your word is good or not, then you will miss many great opportunities in life.  Your handshake on a deal should be better than any contract.  People must know without a doubt that you will not go back on your word.  This is crucial to your success!

5.  Show up on time to every appointment.

Sure, I’ve been late before, but it is the rare exception.  In my mind, if someone shows up late, it plants a seed of doubt about whether I can trust them with important things.  You need to be where you said you’d be when you said you’d be there.  Again, this is not difficult, but if you are consistently late, it sends the wrong message.  People will talk about you behind your back and they will not trust you.  Without trust, you will miss out on chances to improve your life.

6.  Be faithful to your spouse.

Don’t give anyone a reason to doubt you in this area.  Look at how failures in marital fidelity tarnished Bill Clinton’s reputation and the legacy of his Presidency.  What you do in your personal life will spill over into your professional life as well.  Maybe you don’t cheat, but do you flirt?  Don’t even create the perception that you might break your vows.  People want to do business with those that they know beyond a shadow of a doubt they can trust and that will project a positive image for their organization.

You must do the right thing to be trusted with greater opportunities.

Doing the right thing is really not that hard, but it is critical to balanced success.  The more consistently you do what is right, the more often doors will be open to you.  Being trustworthy, you will experience greater happiness and build more meaningful relationships.  These relationships will assist you to expand your influence and live a richer, more abundant life.

Photo by Andyrob