When we’re a little behind, we borrow to catch up.

Perhaps we borrow goodwill and spend less time than we might on a project.

Or we need some money to pay the rent, so we borrow against a paycheck.

And a good night’s sleep is tempting to borrow from as well.

The borrowing compounds, with small debts turning into bigger ones.

On the other hand, when we’re a little ahead, we’re not charged interest, we earn it.

The slack in our workday gives us a chance to plan, to do work on our own account and to see the big picture.

The difference between behind and ahead often comes down to how much we’ve promised the world. If our apartment is too expensive, our customer list is too big or our social media platform is hard to keep up with, it’s easy to fall a bit behind.

This is under our control.

Overdelivering on smaller promises is a shortcut to trust, loyalty and resilience.