Keep the tiny promises, like “I’ll text you when I’m home.” That’s where trust actually gets built.

Trust gets built out of promises small enough that nobody would really mind if you broke them. Texting when you are home, bringing the thing you said you would, calling back later: each one forgettable, each one quietly logged. Big declarations are cheap by comparison, because they rarely come due before the enthusiasm has worn off.

Make one minor promise today and keep it exactly. Then do the same tomorrow. Within a few months you become somebody whose word is assumed to be good, which is a rare position to hold.