Short promises are easier to keep. “I’ll text you tonight” beats “I’ll always be there.”

A promise is worth whatever you can actually deliver, and small ones have a finish line. Telling someone you will message them tonight can be checked by bedtime, which is exactly what makes it mean anything. Forever promises feel generous in the moment and give the other person nothing to hold.

Shrink one promise this week until it has a time attached. Instead of saying you are always around, say you will call Thursday after practice, then call Thursday after practice. A pile of kept small things is what people end up trusting.