Get Sh!t Done – The Power of Accountability!

Today I was reminded of the power of accountability.

Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to the result. – Bob Proctor

One of the challenges of running your own business is balancing everything you “need” to do with what you “want” to do to grow your business.

Can you relate?

You’ve set your goals for the next 3 months and broken them down into your 90-Day Action Plan.

It feels exciting!

You’re ready to do this!

Fast-forward three months, you…

• Have struggled to stay consistent.

• Are behind on reaching your goals, or you’ve missed them completely.

• Have procrastinated and put things off because other things seemed more important.

• Are in your head, stopped taking action, and spent your time on busy work.

• Are frustrated with yourself for not being more accountable.

Sound familiar? It’s OK. We’ve all been there.

There is usually a list of reasons why it didn’t happen, but the truth is although we want it to be a priority, we’re not really treating it like one.

Does it keep happening?

You know what they say about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? Insanity!

Are you ready for a change?

One powerful way to change that is to set up your own ACCOUNTABILITY.

The Power of Accountability!

Step 1: Know your Why!

If you don’t know why you’re doing something, it is difficult to get up the energy to get it done. It’s hard to be accountable for something that doesn’t exist.

Start with connecting with why you want to get something done.

Step 2: Accountability starts with a plan!

The 2nd step to getting sh!t done is to have goals and a plan to reach those goals. I believe in 90-day planning sprints, which start with knowing your why, your vision, then breaking it down into a 90-Day Action Plan.

Without a plan, it is easy to bounce all over the place and lose focus on what you’re trying to accomplish.

It’s important to remind ourselves why we’re doing something. If we feel we “Should” or “need” to be doing something, we tend to procrastinate. If we connect with the why, we can turn the “Should/Need” to a “Want”, and we’re much more likely to focus on getting a “Want” done.

Step 3: Make sure your goals are broken down into doable actions!

If a goal is too big, we do not know what to do, and we do nothing. For example, I wanted to update my website, it is a huge goal, so I procrastinated. I had not given myself a place to start. I have now broken it down, and I know where to start.

Breaking it down to mini goals is how you’ll get it done. Something you only need to know the next step you are going to take. Getting that step done will uncover the direction of the rest of the action you need to reach your goal.

Step 4: Create a schedule.

I recommend scheduling one to two Power Hours a day (workdays) to work your business growth. For example, you might have a Power Hour to create social media content for the week and another one to follow up on sales calls.

You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish if you set aside 5 to 10 hours a week to work on your business. You do not have to know what exactly you will be doing to reserve the time in your calendar. The time for high-value tasks that will move your business forward.

It’s important to treat your business as your number one client. You need to serve your business so that it can grow and serve more amazing clients. So treat your Power Hours like sacred time, you’ll be amazed a what they can do for your business.

Step 5: Know what type of accountability works best for you

4 Types of Accountability

1) Self Accountability – One of my nieces has amazing self-accountability. Once she decides she’s doing something, she does it. She sticks to her schedule and gets it done. It doesn’t matter if it’s cleaning the house or studying for her Ph.D., she stays focused and doesn’t need any external accountability.  

2) Public Accountability – For some, declaring it publicly is enough to keep them accountable and in “action” towards their goal.

3) Public Accountability with Check-ins – Having an accountability partner or group where you state what you’re going to do and schedule frequent check-ins to keep each other on track.  

4) Private Accountability & Coaching – This is what the coaching industry is built on. Typically, it is a relationship that starts with uncovering your intentions, creating and working a plan, then addressing the things that hold you back. 

Which one are you? It’s important to figure it out so you can build that into your plan. There are lots of ways to reach out and find an accountability partner or create an accountability group. As well, there are many coaches, like me, who are ready to support you with private accountability and coaching.

Once you set this up, make sure you ask to be held accountable for the right things – the goals and actions that will move your business forward.

Step 6: Celebrate mini accomplishments and be kind to yourself

Celebrate every mini-goal you accomplish, take a moment and acknowledge what you’ve accomplished. Don’t beat yourself up if you missed a mini-goal. Treat yourself like you’d treat your best friend, look at why you didn’t accomplish it, learn from it, and move on.

Step 7: Recognize when you are procrastinating

We all have procrastinating patterns. For example, you might feel like you are working hard, but you actually work on “busy work” rather than doing the one thing that will move your business forward.

Personally, I can procrastinate by telling myself I do not know what to do next, so I stop instead of taking the next mini step towards my goal.

When you learn to recognize your procrastination patterns, you can create your own “get focus” system.

Step 8: Put Blinders On

Embrace the Joy of Missing Out and stay focused on your goals.

Step 9: Weekly Check-in and Adjustments

Schedule time at the beginning of the week to plan out your mini-goals for the week, your actions, and schedule your Power Hour activities. Then set time at the end of the week to review what you’ve accomplished and make adjustments. This is the first step to self-accountability.

For me personally, I do best with either 3 or 4. I need external accountability with check-ins, and I love that combined with the power of coaching.

There is magic when we start focusing on accountability!

When you focus on getting sh!t done, getting into action, and have accountability, you will start seeing successes. When you start seeing success, your business grows, and it snowball.

The first step is to recognize what type of accountability works best for you. Then build that into your business plan and your daily/weekly routine. If it is external accountability consider an accountability partner and/or a business coach.

---

Are you someone who thrives with Private Accountability and Coaching?

Want help? Let’s talk! I’m passionate about helping business owners take messy action, focus on getting clients, and making money NOW! –> Book a free business accelerator session now.

---

Let’s Connect:

Join our Community: Bold and Successful Women Business Owners Group

Facebook: www.facebook.com/igniteyourmarket/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/heathercameroncoach/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/heathercameroncoach/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cameronheather/