Lachlan Brown
Personal and professional success is more than simply being nice or working hard.
One of the core traits of a successful individual that is commonly overlooked is being reliable.
People looking for love won’t look for those that won’t put in the work to manage the relationship; they look for someone who they can count on and work together with.
This is the same underlying thought that goes into businesses employing people, and customers looking to make a purchase.
They’re all looking for someone to count on to deliver.
To learn more about reliable people, here are 13 that most of them share.
1. Their Actions and Words Align
In short, reliable people say what they mean and mean what they say.
All too often we might hear someone talking to us about all their plans in life.
They talk about the business they have an idea for, how buff or sexy they’ll look only once they start their workout routine, or how many great opportunities they’re going to experience once they finally leave the country.
But then when you see them again after a few weeks, they haven’t changed.
They’re still talking about chasing their dreams.
But reliable people don’t just talk about what they plan on doing – they actually start doing it.
Whether they take a large or a small step, they at least get going. They stick to their word and follow through.
2. They State the Facts
We can count on reliable people to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
They try to remain as objective as possible when, say, they’re caught in the middle of a heated argument between two people or what would be the best course of action for a team.
They try as much as possible to leave their emotions and opinions behind while they’re looking for the right way to help solve a problem.
If they’re the creative head of an advertising team, they try to avoid going with what feels like a good idea, but also weigh the facts and hard evidence to suggest their ideas might actually work.
3. They Achieve the Goals They Set For Themselves
Reliable people know how to achieve their goals. They set small goals that eventually lead to bigger goals.
Most importantly:
They’re disciplined enough to take action every day to move closer to their desired goals.
The question is:
So how can you adopt the same mindset and work on your goals every single day?
Well, you need more than just willpower, that’s for sure.
I learned about this from Life Journal, created by the highly-successful life coach and teacher Jeanette Brown.
You see, willpower only takes us so far…the key to transforming your life into something you’re passionate and enthusiastic about takes perseverance, a shift in mindset, and effective goal setting.
And while this might sound like a mighty task to undertake, thanks to Jeanette’s guidance, it’s been easier to do than I could have ever imagined.
Click here to learn more about Life Journal.
Now, you may wonder what makes Jeanette’s course different from all the other personal development programs out there.
It all comes down to one thing:
Jeanette isn’t interested in being your life coach.
Instead, she wants YOU to take the reins in creating the life you’ve always dreamt of having.
So if you’re ready to stop dreaming and start living your best life, a life created on your terms, one which fulfills and satisfies you, don’t hesitate to check out Life Journal.
4. They’re Honest About Their Feelings
A distant friend might ask us out for some drinks one night which is something you know you’d rather not go to.
You might rather stay home and rest, or even just because you don’t feel like going out.
But you feel like you don’t want to let them down, so you go through with it – which you regret.
The night was fun but you know that you could’ve chosen how to spend your time better.
When we do this, we may actually be deceiving our friend.
We pretend we’re enjoying their company when we’d much rather be somewhere else.
Most reliable people tend to be more upfront with what they’re feeling.
They can tell someone ”no” when they would rather not go along with something.
It might be difficult for some, but honesty could benefit the relationship more than destroy it.
5. They Respect and Value Time
Time is our most valuable resource; no matter what we do, we can never get even a millisecond back.
Wasting someone’s time is arguably one of the most disrespectful things one person can do for another.
Reliable people understand this.
That’s why they only bring up something to you that they think is important.
Since they’re reliable, they tend to be highly capable of solving their own problems.
So when they do come to you with something they can’t find the solution for, you know it’s dire and they’ve exhausted all other solutions.
6. They Don’t Let Biases Cloud Their Judgment
Sometimes our emotions can get in the way of making objective decisions.
If your coworker is related to your boss, say their nephew or niece, then it might raise some doubt in the way you’re being treated.
You might have the feeling that they’re going to be biased towards them just because of their relationship; your boss might let them off the hook more easily than you.
But if a boss were truly reliable, they would treat even their own kin the same as others.
Reliable people tend to avoid playing favorites.
Even if your coworker were related to your boss, if they mess up, they’ll face the same consequences just like everyone else.
7. They Admit When They’ve Failed
One might think that someone reliable would be someone that doesn’t make a mistake.
But the problem with that is that we all make mistakes at one point or another.
The difference is how we handle the mistakes.
Unreliable people tend to brush their mistakes under the rug because they might feel ashamed about them.
But a reliable person admits their faults with dignity.
It takes courage to admit you’ve messed up.
So when someone admits to their own fault, you know you can trust them.
8. They’re Vaults
There might be people you’re afraid to tell anything to because of how chatty they can be.
A reliable person, on the other hand, is like a vault.
When you confide in them about a deeply personal secret you’ve kept for the longest time and just needed to get it off your chest, you can be sure that they won’t tell anyone. It’s safe with them.
9. They Stick to Their Values
A reliable person lets their values guide the choices they make in life.
Say someone says they value family.
They’re then faced with the choice to either take a job that they enjoy but will move them away from their family or a job that pays well to help support their family.
If that person chooses the option that benefits their family, you know they’re a reliable person.
They practiced what they preached and upheld what they said was important to them.
10. They’re Respectful and Kind
It’s always much easier to trust someone who’s nice to us than someone who gives us the cold shoulder.
More often than not, a reliable person is someone you can easily get along with.
They don’t act shady nor do they have a record of people that hate them.
It still helps, however, to not be so quick to rely on someone just because they’re nice.
You might have met someone before who was great to talk to but couldn’t deliver on the work they needed to do, or someone who had a pleasing first impression until you learned their nasty true personalities along the way.
11. They Think of Others Often
A reliable person tends to have a greater capacity for selflessness than others.
When you go to them for a problem, they prioritize it.
They treat it as if it were the most important thing in the world for them.
They tend to be very passionate about helping others, even if you might not be the closest of friends.
12. They Don’t Get Into Drama nor Gossip
Drama tends to happen because someone might be keeping something from their friends or spouse.
There’s suddenly a rift in the relationship because people aren’t being honest with their feelings.
It’s difficult to trust someone who always finds themselves in the middle of another round of drama.
Some people might say that having drama might just add some excitement to their lives.
But in this context, someone reliable tends to be someone who might be “boring.”
They don’t get into fights, drama, or emotional arguments with others.
They steer clear of that because they understand there tend to be more important things to worry about.
. People Vouch for Them
Reliable people tend to have people whom they’ve helped before that can vouch for their abilities.
Their reputation may even precede them at times.
Someone might name-drop them when you’re in a conversation, saying how they may go above and beyond for someone or how they always stick to their word.
Of course, it would be helpful to have more than one person vouch for that person.
The more people that trust them, the more reliable they must be.
It becomes something like a chain of reliability.
After all, we may naturally trust someone that’s been recommended by someone we trust rather than someone out of nowhere asking us to trust them.
Becoming a Reliable Person
Following through with what you say can be easier said than done if it’s become a habit to do the opposite. Talk is easy.
Action, not so much.
One way to practice becoming more reliable is to keep the promises you tell yourself.
That’s because breaking a promise you keep yourself may not be as damaging as when it involves another person.
If you promised yourself that you were going to start hitting the gym and eating less sweets, you can start small.
Take a few more steps around the house in the day than your usual to get moving more or reach for a fruit rather than a cake after dinner.
It might not be much, but you’re already on the path to fulfilling your own promise to yourself and becoming a reliable person.
The problem is:
Many of us feel like our life is going nowhere.
We follow the same old routine every day and even though we try our best, it just doesn’t feel like our life moves forward.
So how can you overcome this feeling of being “stuck in a rut”?
Well, you need more than just willpower, that’s for sure.
I learned about this from Life Journal, created by the highly-successful life coach and teacher Jeanette Brown.
You see, willpower only takes us so far…the key to transforming your life into something you’re passionate and enthusiastic about takes perseverance, a shift in mindset, and effective goal setting.
And while this might sound like a mighty task to undertake, thanks to Jeanette’s guidance, it’s been easier to do than I could have ever imagined.
Click here to learn more about Life Journal.
Now, you may wonder what makes Jeanette’s course different from all the other personal development programs out there.
It all comes down to one thing:
Jeanette isn’t interested in being your life coach.
Instead, she wants YOU to take the reins in creating the life you’ve always dreamt of having.
So if you’re ready to stop dreaming and start living your best life, a life created on your terms, one which fulfills and satisfies you, don’t hesitate to check out Life Journal.
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