How often have you started something with enthusiasm to let it fall by the wayside when life gets in the way? Do you have a way of keeping yourself honest so you deliver on your promises?
So often we start with good intentions but find it hard to follow through. The secret to working towards your goals is finding accountability. Here are some tips to finding out a way that you can keep yourself accountable and honour your intentions with action.
The first step is to work out where you get your motivation from.
Are you internally or externally motivated? Or a combination of both?
You’re internally motivated if:
you love setting yourself goals, targets and resolutions and then doing whatever you can to smash them. You love tick charts and crossing things off your list. Once you decide to do something you’re committed. You can create a routine for yourself and stick to it. For example, you can show up at the gym off your own bat without prodding. Although, your commitment can be so strong that you can continue to do things well beyond their ‘use by date’, when they no longer serve you or make complete sense. You may also find it hard to deliver on others’ requirements or requests that feel unnecessary or without purpose.
You’re externally motivated if:
you find that you’re more likely to deliver on commitments and promises you make to someone else. For example, you can meet work deadlines set by your boss, hand in your assignments by due dates, show up for appointments, and loved reward charts as a kid. You may even find yourself delivering on all of the promises you’ve made to others at the expense of your own needs, or not being able to follow through on your own resolutions and commitments because life just seems to get in the way.
Whether you’re internally or externally motivated doesn’t really matter. Neither is good or bad. The important thing is to recognise what drives and motivates you, so you can use it to your advantage to get things done.
Adopt an accountability tool and technique that suits your preference.
Some examples of internal accountability tools:
- create a tick chart or don’t break the chain (a la Seinfeld)
- make your own reward chart
- use a visual habit tracker
- measure your progress on a tracking app
- put it on your ‘to do’ list
- set a reminder for when you need to do the task or activity
- block out time in your calendar for when you’ll do the activity or task
- set yourself a deadline
- write out your intention, sign it and display it somewhere you’ll see it often.
An example of a visual habit tracker that you colour in to measure your progress in Your Fresh Start 12 Week Planner
Some examples of external accountability tools:
- write out your goal, sign it and then share it with friends
- make a public promise on your social media
- blog about your experience
- text a friend whenever you have done your task
- join a mastermind
- create a Facebook or WhatsApp group to check in about your progress
- post a picture of your progress on social media
- join a public challenge that’s relevant to your goal
- make an appointment
- go to the activity with a friend or colleague
- book into a class or a co-working group, like the Inspiration Space.
Feel free to mix and match as you like.
Adopt more than one accountability tool to increase your likelihood of following through on your commitment or goal.
In the end, test out and discover which accountability tools work for you. And most importantly, do whatever it is you promised to yourself and/or others.
If you’re interested in finding accountability with a supportive co-working group that takes creative brain breaks, then please check out my Inspiration Space Online Co-Working Workshop. It’s held live online twice a month on a Tuesday morning. Come as often as you like. Get one session free if you book a pack of 5 tickets (that don’t have to be used sequentially). Or use discount code “SAYINGYESTOME” to get 10% off your first visit.
I’d love to see you there! Imagine finally doing all of those things that you’ve promised yourself but can’t quite find the time for. Now you can make the time.
