Take a good look at the last several promises you made. Did you keep them? The answer is a clear indication of whether you’re a person of your word, says Patricia J. Harned, Ph.D., president of the Ethics Resource Center, a nonprofit educational organization in Washington, D.C. Everyday actions also give clues to how good you are at honoring commitments, even to yourself, Harned notes: Do you stay on budgets or diets you set? Do you keep appointments and show up on time? Your peers are your best judges, so ask them how reliable you are, suggests Randy Cohen, the Ethicist columnist for The New York Times Magazine. “If 10 people say the same thing about a friend, it’s amazing how often it turns out to be true,” he says. Another indicator: Can you keep a secret? Consider how often people come to you in confidence, says Don Johnson, head of the Ethical Society of St. Louis. “Keeping your word can be a habit if you practice,” he says. “Start by not promising so much to begin with.”