Underpromising: The Best-Kept Secret of a Sane Life
By Sharon Teitelbaum, MA, MCC, Sharon@stcoach.com

Over the last year I've have coached a lot of people on the art of underpromising. The anatomy of an underpromise is simple. If you think you can complete a task in 3 days, commit (to yourself or others) to getting it done in 6 days. If you're able to get it done in 3 days, no problem -- you can always deliver it early (if you choose to). And if something unexpected comes up, either within the task or outside of it, you have some built-in leeway.

Leeway is highly under-rated. Leeway gives you room to breathe. Leeway can support you to have significantly less stress in your life.

The underpromise can be made to a manager, a client, a spouse, a child, a friend, a committee. . . you get the idea. One of the most powerful ways to use this tool is with yourself. Instead of saying to yourself, "Today I will get these 10 things done," try this: "Today I will get these 2 things done." Work just as hard and be just as focused and efficient as you would be if you'd promised yourself 10 things, but without the extra weight on your shoulders.

Most people work better this way, without the stress of habitually overpromising. And they get just as much done, either way! But the overpromise creates stress for the whole day. The underpromise creates confidence the whole day. Why WOULDN'T you want to work with confidence? Try it both ways and see what you think.

A shocking number of people habitually overpromise and then spend much of their waking hours living the experience of failure. The truth is, they're not failures -- they're just poor estimators!

If you consistently feel under the gun, working impossible deadlines, strapped for time, and failing to deliver (or not), you might take a look at the extent to which your own behavior creates time and performance crises for you. And of course, sometimes the imposition of impossible deadlines comes from outside of you, and you have much less control over that. But don't underestimate the traction available from learning to underpromise in some parts of your life.

If you would like to sort some of this out for yourself and come up with strategies for managing your own and others' expectations more effectively in the face of time constraints, consider a short round of very focused coaching. Many people who work with me get what they need within 2 months. Contact me to set up an initial consultation. You'll know by the end of it if you want to work with me or not. And I'm fine with whatever you decide. Visit the coaching pages of my website for more info about coaching.

If people in your organization need self-management tools such as these, Contact me about productivity and time management training.

[Back to Motivating Articles]