Signed, Sealed... Ignored?

Let’s talk about words for a second. They're tiny, aren’t they? So small they almost seem inconsequential. Yet, these little powerhouses can launch empires, wreck relationships, start wars, and heal wounds. But somewhere along the line, we’ve turned them into confetti, scattered about for effect, with zero intention of cleaning up the mess afterward.

I have a thought bear with me. What if every promise you made was an actual agreement? Not the metaphorical kind where you're like, Yeah, I’m totally going to hit the gym this week (we all know how that goes). No, I mean the kind of agreement that you sign, the kind that binds you to something real, like the paperwork when you buy a house or adopt a pet. Wild, right?

Section 2(g) of the Indian Contract Act defines an agreement as, every

promise and every set of promises, forming the consideration for each

other, is an agreement.

Here's how it plays out:

You say, I’ll do this in two months bam, that’s a deadline.
You say, Just four beers tonight guess what, that’s a clause.
You say, I’m working on myself now congrats, you’ve entered a self-improvement agreement.

But here's where it gets interesting. What happens next?

Well, most people ghost their own promises.

Deadlines? Gone like the last episode of your favorite Netflix series.

Goals? Vanished like your willpower at 11 PM on a Friday.

Promises? Transformed into an abstract piece of art that makes zero sense, we call them, poetic excuses.

And let’s be honest, it’s not that people fail. We all fail. The problem is that we’ve made our words so lightweight that they float away before they can be held accountable.

Your promises are like helium balloons, rising, soaring to great heights for a few seconds, and then poof! gone. Meanwhile, there you are, trying to hold on to conversations like signed agreements, waiting for people to fulfill their end of the deal... but realizing they never had any intention of showing up.

The real kicker is that we pretend it’s not a big deal. It’s just a promise, no biggie.  But it is. It’s everything. It’s the stuff that builds relationships, shapes trust, and makes you the kind of person people want to rely on.

Here’s a little dose of reality, when you say something, it should matter. And if it doesn't, maybe don't say it in the first place.

Don’t believe me? Let’s break it down a bit more:

• Deadlines are now ghosted: When we promise to meet a deadline, we should really mean it. Think about it, if your boss sets a deadline, and you just… skip it? They’re not going to send you a no worries, take your time email. If you were a business, and every time you promised a product, your customers got something 60% close to what they wanted, well… I’ll bet the reviews wouldn’t be pretty.
• Goals are vaporware: We love talking about goals.  I’m going to lose 20 pounds!   I’m going to start a side hustle!   I’m going to be a morning person!  But let’s be real, if your actions don’t match your talk, your goals might as well be written in invisible ink. Goals are supposed to be grounded in actions like a firm handshake, not a flimsy promise. You wouldn't shake someone’s hand and then ghost them, right?
• Promises morph into excuses: There’s a fine line between making a promise and just, well, talking in circles. We all know those people who turn every promise into a punchline. I’ll be there at 7, oh wait, no, traffic! My dog ate my shoes! The Wifi went down!  At some point, these excuses just get... boring. Not everything in life needs to sound like the plot of a bad sitcom.

But let’s be real about the flip side too.

For those of us who still believe that words mean something, we sometimes find ourselves carrying the weight of these unfulfilled promises. You start to feel like you're standing in the middle of a deserted street, holding a signed contract, just waiting for someone to come through with their part. It's a lonely feeling.

And it’s not about being uptight. It’s about being intentional. Words are a currency in life. And if you keep dropping them like change at the bottom of a shopping cart, don’t be surprised when people stop reaching for your promises altogether.

Here’s the thing about intention it’s what separates the talkers from the doers. People who say things and follow through are the ones who get things done. And they don’t need to make huge declarations about it. They don’t shout their promises from the rooftops. They simply show up.

And this is why we should start treating promises like agreements or contracts, if you can’t sign it with your actions, don’t write it in the first place.

Let’s take a moment to recognize the real MVPs here: the ones who don’t make a big show about their commitments but quietly, steadily, make things happen. The ones who say I’ll do this and actually do it. These folks are the real architects of trust. Not the ones who talk a big game and then hide when it’s time to play. They don't overpromise or underdeliver. They don’t talk goals they live them. It's not glamorous, but it’s reliable. And that’s the stuff that keeps relationships, friendships, and businesses alive.

On the other hand, if you find yourself consistently underwhelmed by someone’s promises, be it friends, colleagues, or that one cousin who swears they'll help you move every time but never does, don’t be surprised when the trust starts to crack.

Because once trust is broken too many times, your contract expires. And guess what? So does the connection. It's like trying to return an item with no receipt. It's just… awkward. Not everything needs to end in a dramatic fallout. Sometimes, it's the quiet disappointment that stings the most. The one where you stop expecting anything at all from someone.

So, here’s a toast to the ones who follow through. The ones who make promises and keep them. You’re the real heroes of this story.

And to everyone else, the next time you make a promise, remember, it's not a throwaway line. It’s an agreement admissible in the eyes of law. Treat it that way. And if you can't? Maybe it's time to not make one.