Before answering this question, you want to know what does this idiom stand for?

It implies:

To do what one said one could do or would do, not just make empty promises.

To do things consistent with what one claims.

This phrase indicates that failing to match behaviour with talk results in a loss of credibility and trust.

Another variation of this idiom:

talk the talk… walk the walk.

In short, it means putting your words into action—showing that you mean what you say by actively doing it yourself. It is a version of the everyday phrase ‘practice what you preach’.

Still, you are wondering what is the core value of walking the talk.

‘Walking the talk’ is ultimately about being clear on what matters most to us – our values – then orienting our goals, how we measure them, and the actions taken to achieve them around this.

 “Don’t talk, just act. Don’t say, just show. Don’t promise, just prove.”

In the first place, why do you say: Walk the talk?

The saying is “If you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk”—a modern version of old sayings like “actions speak louder than words” and “practice what you preach.” Another early form of the expression was “walk it like you talk it.”

“The world is changed by your example not by your opinion.” – Paulo Coelho

Let me illustrate it with an example.

Are you the one who believes and preach that maintaining good health is important to you? You have been vocal about it among your family, friends, social media platforms, etc. But when it comes to you following a workout regimen or visiting the gym regularly, you hardly do it. Hence, you need to close the gap between what you value and how you behave.

Or say, for example, you are an environment enthusiast who believes the use of plastic should be banned. You are a proponent of #banplastic but refuse to eliminate plastic from your consumption. Hence, you are not walking the talk.

So how can you “walk the talk”? As a first measure, you can start journaling as it will help you, the way Blogging has helped me close that gap by forcing me to walk my talk. I’m far from perfect. Like everyone, I make mistakes and often fail to live up to the things I consider important. But writing has made it easier to stay consistent with those values instead of falling into excuses.

Now you need to Effectively Debug your inconsistencies. You can plan for 30 days ahead and start with the execution of a 30-day trial period. Here you need to commit to an idea for thirty days, every day. If you mess up on Day 29, you go back to the start. This tool would be invaluable for you in changing many different habits.

Before you embark on your ambitious journey of achieving your concrete goal, you need to identify gaps between your philosophy of life and your behaviours. You would appreciate that nobody is perfect, so am I and so you do. But after following this strategy consistently over a period, I have accomplished a few of my life’s goals.

I know few people who have become productive from being a slob. Productivity and organization were important to them but they were messy, undisciplined procrastinators. Focusing on building the right habits and training yourself would narrow this gap.

Remaining healthy and fit features prominently on everyone’s dream sheet. All of us want to achieve this goal but hardly make any headway in this direction. We keep procrastinating about following the exercise regimen. Hence, we are unable to achieve our fitness goals and remain unhealthy.  Please understand that your health and energy levels are important to you. For this, you need to exercise and change your eating habits. If you exercise regularly and follow a diet plan, you would not be far from your goal of being fit and fab.

This way you are walking your talk. You are becoming an inspiration for others who are sloppy and unproductive.

“Some people just talk through Life. They talk, talk, talk and Life is over. Some people walk through Life. They walk, walk, walk and arrive at their destination.” – RVM

Are you facing fear syndrome? Are you vulnerable to your circumstances? Are you not in your element to work towards your committed goal? You need to talk it over with your family, friends, confidante, or even psychiatrist. Professional help in the matter would yield desired results.

But, you are the one who can only break down your fears. If something terrifies you, chop it into pieces you can swallow. Training your courage like a muscle would be a better strategy for you than relying on willpower. However, you can not undermine the power of willpower as it is the first step towards achieving your goal. Climb this ladder confidently and mark the difference!

We all admit that the ultimate goal of our life should be: To be happy. We should try to be happy in whatever life throws at us. In the journey of working towards achieving our material goals, we forget that being happy is our objective. Inconsistencies and deficiencies are part and parcel of our lives as no one is born perfect. Perfection is hard work, you need to work around these, day in and day out.

Still, unlike a computer program, your software can never have zero defects. Instead, try to think of self-improvement as trying to reach 98% bug-free. You will inevitably fail to meet your values some of the time, but those errors won’t matter too much in the long run. To effectively debug your inconsistencies, you need the right tools, which I have mentioned above.

So be happy, spread happiness, and be happyHO.