5 Tips to Increase Accountability

2016 is underway! And most of us set some resolutions and goals, right?

I kicked off the New Year last month with 5 Tips to Conquer your Goals:
1. Set SMART goals, and create a detailed plan on the actions you will take to achieve them.
2. Identify key people or a group who will hold you accountable.
3. Share with the group your needs and how you want to be held accountable. Be honest.
4. Make time to check-in and share milestones, and/or course correct as needed.
5. Celebrate successes.

So how ‘s it going?

As we start to settle back into work and the daily grind our goals can get sidetracked so I wanted to check-in and talk a bit more about Tips #2 and #3 on accountability.

Accountability is a funny thing! I mean holding others accountable is something we do quite easily as leaders and team mates, yet it can get REALLY uncomfortable when others try to hold US accountable. And as much as we’d like to rely on our own tenacity, it is can be too hard to hold yourself accountable.

An outside “nudge” from a friend, colleague, or peer can go a long way. My Mastermind group has been meeting since the first week of January and it is kicking my butt!

But in the best, and most challenging and wonderful way. They are holding me accountable on the regular.

Every week:
• I must identify a goal accomplished and set a goal for the next week.
• I must report on the progress of each goal.
• I must be open to receiving feedback on my goals

And every 5 weeks, I rotate into the Hot Seat and the group challenges me on an area where I feel stuck. Last week, I sat in the Hot Seat and let me tell you what happened;
• I had to hear some hard truths.
• I had to be honest with myself and the group.
• I had to be open to ideas, even if I had heard them before.
• I had to be willing to course correct and make changes based upon the feedback.

The results have been amazing!

First, I had to acknowledge that my hustle had waned and I was skipping opportunities to grow my business. So I kicked up my hustle and have made some amazing new plans for 2016, and I completely re-evaluated how I spend and manage my time. This level of accountability gives me nowhere to hide and is really requiring me to raise my game.

I had set 4 goals for 2016:
1. Keep building the business
2. Curate a TEDx event
3. Write a book
4. Read 12 books

And…

• I’m taking my business to the next level with new goals and plans, I’m super pumped (do people still say that?).
• I’ve been selected to be one of the curators for the TEDxABQ Women 2016 event.
• I’ve got a Writing Coach and have completed my Book Sketch and will complete my Chapter Outline this month.
• I’m well into Pride and Prejudice (my first Jane Austen book, and I’ve actually never seen the movies either).

So now what about YOU?

If you have found a friend, colleague, or peer to work with, here are 5 Tips to increase your accountability:
1. Build in a weekly check-in (either a phone call, email, or virtual meeting).
2. Be consistent and have mechanisms in place to ensure the weekly check in happens.
3. Be open to feedback, listen even if you think it isn’t valuable or relevant.
4. Allow yourself time to reflect to consider how to apply the feedback.
5. Act on new ideas and feedback.

If you haven’t found the right person or people, I’m here for you! Book a Quick and Dirty chat with me and together we’ll create a full proof plan to achieve your goals. I give a 100% guarantee that together, we can get you there.