***How to Build Your Credibility, Boost Your Reputation and Skyrocket Your Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is a very important motivator according to Abraham Maslow. He places a person’s self-esteem needs above physiological, security, and social needs.

The dictionary defines self-esteem as confidence and satisfaction in oneself. It can be also thought of as self-respect, or confidence in your own merit as an individual person.

In the work place and in life we want to rise above the other needs and operate at, nurture, and maintain high levels of self-esteem. We will be more productive and happier if we do.

Huge losses in self-esteem will occur if you do not keep every promise you make. If you make a commitment to other people, and even to yourself, and you don’t keep that commitment, you will lose a part of your self-esteem. Your self-regard will be wounded and you will feel awful.

Others will learn to distrust you when you make commitments. Not keeping your word creates poor relationships and damages good ones.

Some people I interact with aren’t aware that they are missing commitments because they don’t take them seriously enough to write them down or make the effort to keep them. They just forget, get busy doing other things, and don’t take keeping their commitments seriously. Missing commitments in this way will negatively impact your self-esteem.

One of the most typical – and seemingly insignificant - missed commitments is when a business person‘s voice mail states that they will return your call and then they don’t. A small loss – perhaps - but certainly damaging to trust and credibility.

So how do you ensure you keep your commitments? Write them down – all of them! Even the ones you make to yourself.

Be very selective and careful of the commitments you do make. Be wise about what you commit to. Learn to say no to commitments that you know you can’t keep or that aren’t the highest and best use of your time.

Learn that you don’t have to accept every deadline that someone proposes to you. Better to negotiate deadlines up front than to commit to doing something you know is impossible to accomplish in the time proposed.

Once you accept and commit to appropriate deadlines, manage your work and life schedule to keep every one of your promises. A person of integrity builds trust, self-esteem, and positive relationships.

Evaluate your promise keeping now and take the actions you must to avoid the huge losses brought about by missing commitments.