Under promise and over produce. Over the 24 years I have been practicing Aikido, this is the one shortcoming that students always seem to succumb to. I am well acquainted with this lesson myself because I have I suffered through it numerous times. For instance, I once asked Sensei if I could wash his car once a week in trade for dues. He agreed and we made a deal that I would wash his car every Saturday after class. Easy enough and for months it went great and I thought I was making out like a bandit until one day it rained. I was about to leave and Sensei stopped me and said, "Hey, aren't you going to wash my car?" I said, "But, it's raining." Sensei went to lunch and I had to wash the car in the pouring rain and I did it because I thought he was going to check it when he came back. When he returned, I just got yelled at for an hour about my follow through and personal character. This was a hard concept to for me to grasp. I didn't understand that to be a warrior means to be someone of character and one of elements of character is ichigon or more specifically bushi no ichigon in marital arts. Bushi no ichigon specifically translates as a warrior says one thing, but it really means that a warrior is person of character and hence that person says what they mean and only means what they say.
As a young man growing up I got a warriors education from Sensei. He didn't just teach me the martial arts but more about what it meant to be a person of character. A person of character is someone you can trust and respect and who lives his life with honor and integrity. Therefore to start this journey be mindful of what you not only say and do, but also what you think - it really does matter.
So my suggestion to everyone is that they should under promise and over produce. This is the best way to stay off the radar.