Can I count on you?

That's the question that separates the people who get opportunities from the people who don't. I've never missed a single task I've taken up. Not one.

That's the real lesson about reliability most people miss: it's not about doing everything.

It's about being ruthless with what you commit to, and then being someone people can absolutely count on for the things you do take on.

Early on, I realized people don't remember your excuses. They remember whether you showed up or not.

The gap between good and great is being predictable in the ways that matter.

People will pick the reliable person over the brilliant one every single time.

Let’s dive in.

Reliability compounds trust faster than anything else.

You can be the smartest person in the room, but if people can't count on you, they won't work with you.

You can have the best ideas, but if you don't ship on time, no one will wait for you.

Every time you do what you say you will, you're making a deposit. Every time you don't, you're making a withdrawal.

Most people underestimate how quickly those withdrawals stack up.

FedEx almost died in its first few years.

They were burning through cash. Investors were pulling out. Founder Fred Smith was down to his last $5,000.

He took that $5,000 to Las Vegas and turned it into $27,000 at blackjack. Just enough to cover fuel costs for one more week of deliveries.

Wild story, right?

But here's what actually saved FedEx: their promise.

When FedEx said "absolutely, positively overnight," they meant it.

Even when they were broke, they delivered on time.

Customers noticed. They switched from the competition because FedEx was reliable.

That reliability became their entire moat.

Today, FedEx moves 6.5 million packages daily, because people could count on them.

Here's how I actually protect my reliability:

Before I say yes to anything, I ask myself three questions:

> Do I have the actual capacity to do this well?
> Does this matter enough to protect the time it needs?
> What am I willing to drop if this becomes harder than expected?

If I can't answer all three clearly, I don't commit.

Most people fail at reliability because they commit to things they don't have room for. Then life happens, and they break promises they shouldn't have made.

Say no to more things. Follow through on fewer things. Be known for both.

Reliability isn't sexy.

It doesn't get the spotlight.

But it's the foundation everything else is built on.

The people who win long term? They're not the most talented.

They're the ones you can count on when it matters.

Be that person.