I don’t know anyone who doesn’t thrive more with an accountability partner.
Well, I’m sure there is someone out there who does! Is it you? That got me
thinking about my brother-in-law, Bryan, who was a runner, as was I. Years
ago (when I was a runner—now I just run to the bathroom!) I was visiting
Bryan and his family back east, and I asked him if I could run with him.
“Well, I run alone, always,” was his reply.
I was used to my running group of five women. They motivated me to get
up at 5 a.m. in the hot Arizona summers and run! We talked most of the
way, which made the time go by quicker and made the running easier. I
digress. Bryan did not care to run or work out with me or with anyone else,
but somehow, for some reason, he ran consistently without fail.
If you are “a Bryan” with exercise and with business and with work, you are
a different breed! And I would love to hear your secrets! Maybe you were
“just born that way.”
I’d like to think that this applies to business as well. My recent coaching
clients have struggled, like most of us, with getting things done. They have
expressed challenges with their calendars and with their organization skills.
When we know we “should” do something, but it is perhaps overwhelming
or a distasteful task, do you put it off? Why aren’t goals achieved?
This is a topic for the ages. Why do people procrastinate? Did you know
that less than 10% of people who make New Year’s resolutions achieve
their goals?! This is where accountability can make a real
difference—having someone to check in with can help you get focused,
stay focused and thus commit to and achieve your goals.
I would love to hear your thoughts and any insights you might have on a
specific topic of concern, particularly related to goal setting and achieving
the life we deserve to live.
Here are some quick tips on how I make myself accountable and keep
myself on task and productive:
● Every Sunday I look at my paper calendar. I schedule my meetings.
Meetings with my team, with potential or existing clients/customers,
with my coaching clients. (This is the easy part!)
● Many have already been scheduled with Zoom links and/or have
been arranged via my Calendly Scheduler – do you know about
this?
● I schedule my workouts/ walks etc.
● I eyeball any hair appts/nails/massages, etc. For me, I schedule
these types of self-care appts when I’m at the previous appointment. I
find that if I don’t do this, suddenly it doesn’t get done in a timely
manner!
● Now, what time slots are left? I schedule “my deep work” in the
calendar. Whatever that means to you. For me it’s working on a big
project that is not a ‘to do task”, but something that gets me closer to
my big goals. And I commit to take that time period seriously with no
distractions. And I use the Pomodoro Method!