Don’t Disappear (on leave)

Stop letting the fear of an awkward conversation make your choices for you.

It is incredibly easy to slip away and hope people simply forget what you promised. To quietly drop a project at work because you’re overwhelmed, or to pull an Irish exit at a wedding. Usually, you can get away with it.

But sneaking out is just letting the fear of a five-second awkward conversation make your choices for you. We care way too much about what people might think if we say no, so we say nothing at all.

Own your decisions. If you have to back out of a commitment, say it directly. If you need to dip out of an event early, don’t sneak out the back door. Find the host, look them in the eye, and say goodbye.

Integrity isn’t always about staying. Sometimes it’s just about having the spine to announce you’re leaving.