Follow Through Meaning And Inspirational Quotes

Today, I want to share some of my favorite quotes on follow-through. As a general concept everyone knows the follow through meaning is to finish what you start. People also know following through is important. However, they sometimes neglect it because it takes too much time, effort, confidence, or desire. However, following through is part of building trust and confidence in ourselves and others. These follow through quotes will help inspire you to be the type of person who pursues and completes what they start. I also have some great insight from author Casey Russell on consistently following through on what you say.

What Does Follow Through Mean?

“Follow through” generally refers to the act of continuing with a plan or activity until it is completed. It often implies completing a task or fulfilling a commitment without stopping or giving up halfway. For example, if you promise to help a friend move, following through means actually showing up and assisting with the move as promised. In sports, it refers to continuing the movement after hitting a ball or releasing a projectile, often to ensure accuracy or power.

The real meaning of following through is that you can be trusted to do as you say. In my book, that is HUGE. As a parent, I try to always follow through on my promises. I also check and make sure that my children are following through on their obligations. Following through is the right thing to do. It speaks to the quality of a person and shows that they take a personal commitment seriously.

My Favorite Follow Through Quotes

“I can give you a six-word formula for success: Think things through – then follow through.” -Eddie Rickenbacker, American fighter ace in World War I, Medal of Honor recipient

“Character is the ability to follow through on a resolution long after the emotion with which it was made has passed.” –Brian Tracy, Motivational public speaker and self-development author

“Many people don’t focus enough on execution. If you make a commitment to get something done, you need to follow through on that commitment.” also “For me, integrity is the consistency of words and actions.” –Kenneth Chenault, CEO of a Fortune 500 company

“Do what you say you’re going to do. Follow through means never having to say you’re sorry.” -Mark Goulston

“Good thoughts are no better than good dreams if you don’t follow through.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist and poet

“Those who only do what they feel like, don’t do much. To be successful at anything you must take action even when you don’t feel like it, knowing it is the action itself that will produce the motivation you need to follow through.” also “When you value your integrity at the highest level, living alignment with your word and following through with your commitments no matter what, there are no limits to what you can create for your life. However, when you make excuses, justify doing what is easiest, and choose the path of least resistance, you will live a life of mediocrity, frustration and regret. Live with integrity as if your life depended on it, because it does.” –Hal Elrod, Author, keynote speaker and success coach

“When we don’t follow through with what we say to our kids, we are teaching them to ignore our words.” -Casey Russell, author of The Handbook for Life With Little Ones

More Famous Quotes About Following Through

“Those who are blessed with the most talent don’t necessarily outperform everyone else. It’s the people with follow-through who excel.” -Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

“People will follow you when you build the character to follow through.” -Orrin Woodward, founder of the Life Platform as well as a New York Times bestselling author 

“All the time and effort put into networking can be all for naught if there is no follow-through. The same goes for sales. And leadership. And … well, everything.” -Beth Ramsay, Founder and CEO of Brilliant Women

“It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” -Zig Ziglar, Author, salesman, and motivational speaker

“Words are meaningless without intent and follow through and intent without good planning and proper action is equally meaningless.” -David Amerland, Author of The Sniper Mind

“It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

While not using the exact word “follow through,” this quote reflects her strong belief in personal responsibility, integrity, and following through with one’s own expectations before placing them on others. The next two are similar in theme.

“And once you stand up for yourself, you’d be surprised that people say, ‘Can I be of help?’” -Maya Angelou

“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” -Abraham Lincoln

These quotes about following through really make it clear why it is an essential element to success in life and relationships.

The Art of Consistently Following Through With What You Say

To me, a very important rule of parenting is to follow through with what you say. This also means that you should not say things that you don’t mean. I am happy to share wise words from Casey Russell on why it is important to follow through. She is the author of The Handbook for Life With Little Ones:  Information, Ideas and Tips for Birth to Age Five. For more ideas and tips for early parenting, check out her book (affiliate link).

To me, why follow through is important is as simple as building trust. Everyone in your life (children and adults) needs to know they can trust you to do what you say. If you aren’t following through, you are creating room for doubt and uncertainty. You know you can do better. Diligent follow-up will not only better allow others to trust you, but also helps them to react in a more reliable, positive way to your requests. This is because they know who they are dealing with and that you actually mean what you say.

by Casey Russell

Being a parent can be hard. It’s a big responsibility to be in charge, not only of another human’s basic needs, but to also need to keep that human safe, teach him morals, respect, discipline, help him grow his self-esteem and make sure he learns all his curious mind needs know in this world. It’s especially hard when our kids seem not to listen to what we say. Why, we wonder, is my child whining for more when I’ve already told him that’s all he can have? Why is he not getting off the swing when I’ve already counted to 10 in my “I’m serious” voice?

Have I been following through?

The answer to this often lies in a simple question we need to ask ourselves. “Have I been following through on what I say to my child?” Kids are smart. They are learning all the time by observing us. They notice when we say one thing and do another.

Picture this: You are running errands with your child. He asks for a toy. You say, “No, we can’t buy a toy today.” He starts to whine. You tell him no again. He continues to whine and keeps asking for the toy while you are attempting to concentrate on getting the things on your list. He gets louder. You grab the toy and say, “Fine, but we’re not doing this every time we come to the store.” If this scenario sounds at all familiar, now is the time to ask the question: “Have I been following through on what I say to my child?” And, the answer will be no.

When We Don’t Follow Through

When we don’t follow through with what we say to our kids, we are teaching them to ignore our words and keep asking until we give in. This is not only frustrating, it can also be dangerous. If they learn to ignore our words in situations like these, they will also be less likely to “Stop!” when we need them to for safety reasons. They are learning, too, that they do not need to respect the fact that someone has said, “No.” We do not want our kids to do this to us and we definitely don’t want them to do it as adults.

It seems so much easier in the moment, to give in. It gets the child to stop whining and you can focus on what you need to do. But, by accepting the temptation of this moment’s peace, you are inviting years of arguments, whining and disrespect.

Following Through Earns Respect

Luckily, there is a solution. Starting now, and forevermore, follow through. If you tell your child he can have one more cracker. Give ONE more. Don’t give in when he cries. Teach him, through your actions, that you mean what you say. If he starts to whine, you can gently say, “Oh, you know you don’t get what you want when you whine. Those crackers are really good. But, we’re done with them for now. What should we go play?” None of this needs to be said loudly or meanly. For sustained follow through, you just need to make a small shift to a more serious tone. Your child will quickly learn there’s no use in arguing because it’s not going to get him what he wants.

Only Say Things You Will Carry Out

With that said, make sure to say things you can follow through with. For example, if you are at the airport and your child starts acting up, don’t say, “If you don’t stop screaming, we are going home.” Because, let’s face it, you’re not going to go home. You’re going to get on the plane and your child will have learned you don’t always mean what you say.

Or, if your child is running away from you at bedtime instead of letting you brush his teeth, don’t say, “If you don’t come to me right now, you are not going to sleep with your teddy bear.” The truth is, he will need his teddy bear to go to sleep and that punishment is too strong. No one needs to be mean. Pick something else that will matter to him but that won’t emotionally wound him or make him feel unsafe. An alternative would be, “Right now you have 2 books for bedtime. I am giving you one more chance to come to me so I can brush your teeth. If you don’t, we will only be able to do 1 book for bedtime.” This is a consequence that will matter to him, but is not mean-spirited.

I think it’s important to say “yes” to kids often. But, when “no” is said, they need to know, and be able to trust, that we mean it. Talk about things. Consistently follow through. Let your child know the boundaries and let him take control of remembering where they are. When the boundaries are clear, kids will most often cooperate because they don’t have to test the boundaries. When a rule needs to be made, just gently let your child know what it is– and why– and then stick to it. And then, when your child does a great job making a choice you were hoping he’d make, thank him! Positive reinforcement works wonders. Kids like to know they’ve done something good. We all do. We like to know we’re appreciated.

Following through on what you say means you consistently do this for promises you make your child, too. If you’ve said your little one can help you bake cookies after his nap, don’t poop out and let time get away from you. Bake the freakin’ cookies! If you’ve said you’ll go to the park after you’re done paying bills, but it is raining when you’re done, get on the raincoats and go! If you do this, your child’s trust in you, and his sense of surety in the world, will grow. By doing this one thing, you will most likely find you have a child who doesn’t whine or put up fits. He will know it’s not worth whining because he’ll know that you mean what you say. It will help him feel safe because he can trust you and he will know the boundaries.

Get yourself in the practice of consistently following through and then stick to it. This same principle of carrying through a process to completion will serve you well in all facets of your life to help you be respected and accomplish more.

Thanks again to Casey Russell for sharing those inspiring words on staying true to what we say and for great examples of how to follow through with discipline in a firm but gentle way.

Follow Through Synonyms And Antonyms:

Perhaps the most convincing argument for why follow through is so important lies in the definition of the phrase. If you look for a word that means the same thing as follow through and a word that means the opposite of following through, you will know right away which side you want to fall on! See the below according to Merriam-Webster:

Synonyms for follow through (with)

• accomplish, 
• achieve, 
• bring off, 
• carry off, 
• carry out, 
• commit, 
• compass, 
• do, 
• execute, 
• fulfill 
• (or fulfil), 
• make, 
• negotiate, 
• perform, 
• perpetrate, 
• prosecute, 
• pull off, 
• put through

Near Antonyms for follow through (with)

• fail
• skimp, 
• slight, 
• slur

Always Follow Through On Your Commitments

Are you impressed when you see other human beings exhibit dogged determination? When you really think about it, following through is probably one of the characters you admire the most in your role models. This is because this quality makes them trustworthy. It also demonstrates that they are hard workers who execute their plans. They make things happen. Whether it is in business, personal life, or parenting, follow through is essential to being reliable and getting things done well. Follow-through should be one of our basic values.

I hope you enjoyed this discussion on the follow through meaning as well as these follow through quotes. Which ones did you think were the best following through quotes? I’d love to hear any additional quotes on following through or personal stories that illustrate the importance. You can share in the comments or on social media @familyfocusblog!

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