How do you keep yourself accountable to your goals? How do you keep yourself motivated to complete tasks? Many business owners have processes and systems in place to hold their teams accountable. However, holding other people accountable can oftentimes be easier than holding yourself accountable. In this post we are talking about the importance of personal accountability, specifically in business.
We already exercise personal accountability in many ways within our lives. For example, you pick your kids up from school or soccer practice on time each day/week (or at least I hope you do). You most likely hold yourself accountable when it comes to your health – scheduling yearly checkups, etc. When it comes to instilling accountability within our business roles, we can become lackadaisical.
Implementing and maintaining personal accountability inside your specific business role is extremely important. It is a key component of your ongoing success. When you hold yourself accountable to all things ‘business’, you will achieve greater results. You will stick to your schedule, complete projects on time and at 110% level.
The Metrix team has put together some ways that you can increase your personal accountability:
Create a Vision Board
There is a reason you are working hard day in and day out – you are working towards something big. This ‘something big’ could be a new house, a family vacation, buying a boat, or putting together a college fun for your kids. Put this vision board somewhere you can see it every day. Doing so will help you stay accountable and stay focused on your work and achieving your goals. Check out our post on vision boards to learn how to create yours!
Enroll your Family in Your Goals
Enroll your family in your goals and see how powerful this can be. Here is a fun example: Let’s say you are working really hard to take your family on vacation to Disneyland. Sit down with your spouse and kids and tell them all about your goal. Let them know you want them to help you hit this goal. You tell them you need to close three deals in the next four months. Based on your lead and lag indicators, you know that to close three deals you will need to make roughly 3000 calls. Every day when you get home, tell your kids how many calls you made and have them keep a tally. Your kids will begin to get excited to ask you how many calls you made each day. And you better betcha bottom dollar they will not forget to ask you! As you approach the 3000th call, you should have achieved, or should be close to achieving your goal. Enrolling your family in your goals will help you achieve them, and not let them slip away.
Your Calendar is Your Boss
When you put something on your calendar, do you typically stick to it? Or do you make excuses to not complete tasks? Time-block your calendar with important tasks. Note: these time-blocks are NON-NEGOTIABLE. Plan life around them. Do not “reschedule” them for a later date. Living by your calendar is one of the most powerful, yet underutilized tools for personal accountability.
Take a moment to think about the personal accountability you hold yourself to within your business. Do you have a vision board? Who is enrolled in your goals? Do you stick to your calendar? What steps can you take immediately to be more effective?
COACH’S TIP
Becoming “self-accountable” is difficult! How do you make it easier? Cheat! Do this by making your daily tasks routine and automatic so that you effortless get into production. You can accomplish this by forming habits around those things that you must accomplish each day. As Gary Keller states in “The One Thing” – “willpower is not on will call!” Habits take 66 or so days to form. On day 1 of your task, make a tally mark on your whiteboard, notebook, etc. On day 2, do the same,…repeat this cycle until suddenly you do not even realize that you are starting on the task.