Accountability Partners as a Strategic Success Tool
Have you ever started something but didn’t finish? Or worse yet you said you were going to do something but never even got started? Don’t worry you’re not alone. When it comes to getting stuff done getting started is the hardest part and keeping it going is a close second. That’s where accountability partners and groups come in to help you succeed. Accountability partners and groups are people that get together that have a similar common goal. One example would be a book club. They have a common goal of finishing and discussing a book (or maybe a few). These partners and groups are important to success because they keep you accountable for the things you say and do. Think about this, how hard is it going to be to tell you group of friends you didn’t’ do something? Pretty hard, especially if you know they stayed accountable for the same task. It’s kind of like peer pressure except your peers are convincing you to improve your life!Now you may be thinking this concept sounds pretty cool but you have one big question, “How do I even find an accountability partner or group?” The answer is there are a few different ways to get involved.
3 Ways to Find Accountability Partners or Groups
Local Groups
Networking is going to be a big part of meeting people and being part of an accountability group. You can find local groups through your hobbies or other interests. If you want to be part of Toastmasters find a local group and join. If you want to be around more people that like RC cars or planes go to a local hobby shop and ask around. There are thousands of people meeting everyday you just need to get out and find them. If you are having trouble with finding groups the next two ways of getting into a group are for you!
Create Your Own
Creating your own group may not be the easiest way to go about this but it’s definitely the most rewarding. There are a few things that need to be done to create your own group. One is finding a place to meet. A simple solution is finding a park, a Starbucks, or someone’s house that is easily accessible.Next you want to find a few like minded people to come together and create a group. Ideally you can find these people through your network. If you don’t have a network yet starting with an online group or a local meetup may be easier. Depending on your goals you can decide the main focus of the group (a book club reads books). Next pick a time and date and be consistent. The third Monday or second Thursday of a month are great examples. This is something you want the entire group to agree on. At a later date you can work as a group to change the date but to start pick something that is easy to remember.
Online
There are an abundance for online groups that can be joined. Some of these groups only meet online while others just use the internet as a way to market themselves. Depending on your personality either option will work. You can find these groups through social media like Facebook or apps like MeetUp. Check into if the groups are only online or if they meet in person before you join, it wouldn’t be fun to join a group just to find out that you don’t even live where they meet.
Now What Do We Do?
One you have a group you’re going to want something to do. There are a few options out there. You’ll notice that most groups have a structure that is consistent with each meeting. You don’t to show up to a book club and spend the entire time talking about something unrelated like sports or video games. That’s why it is important for an accountability group or partnership to have a structure.
Regular Meetings
The idea of regular meetings is going to be the easiest option for everyone involved. The group can pick a time and location for the meeting. Once this is set it should not be changed unless the group is better off changing time and locations at a future date.The next thing the group will want to figure out is a schedule for the meeting. A good way to do that is to have a short period of time at the beginning for catching up as everyone rolls in. After everyone has arrived it’s time to get serious. Depending on your group you may want to do 10 to 20 minute time slots for everyone to talk about what they did do, didn’t do, and what they want to improve on. If your group has presentations this would be the time to do that. If these two ideas don’t sound right for your group then it’s time to discuss with them what will work best.At the end of these meetings everyone should have had a chance to talk and make goals for the future. These goals can be as individuals or as a group. It’s up to you to decide what will work best for you.
Group Events
Group events are as formal or informal as you want them to be. These kind of events can be anything from team building to a guys or girls night out. This is the time when your group is creating a bond that will make you feel the need to stay accountable.One of favorites group events for the groups I’ve been involved with were local sports games. It works out well because they are relatively cheap compared to professional games and almost everyone can have fun. If your group isn’t into sports it may be possible to find trade shows or conventions that interest the team. Remember this is about bonding with the group so find something that the group can enjoy.
Classes
Education is important for becoming successful and part of an accountability group or partner is helping everyone achieve more. One of the best ways to improve the group is through taking classes. This doesn’t have to be through a college or anything formal. If you or your group members see a seminar or class on a topic related to the group everyone has a chance to learn. Keep on the lookout for local events that are related to what you and your group want to achieve. A local personal finance seminar can push a personal finance accountability group to the next level.Any time you take a class make sure to take notes and share it with the group. If multiple people in the group want to learn the same thing it can turn into more of a group event and it will make learning more fun. Remember this is about education and helping yourself and the group. Learning is one of the foundations of success so help your group learn!
Accountability On Your Own
The groups or partners may make accountability easier but you still have to make sure you are accountable to yourself. This means that between meetings it’s important to stay on the right track. It may be hard to stay accountable when you aren’t checking in with your group or partners regularly but here are a few ways to do it.
Use a daily journal to write down your daily, weekly, monthly, and long term goals.
Create a “To do list” of all the most important activities. The more important the task is the higher it is on the list. Don’t skip tasks for something easier.
Look at the end result you want and create a plan from end to beginning. This is your roadmap to success. Make adjustments as needed.
Create a unique habit that helps you achieve your goals and stay accountable to yourself.
Everyone is different so try new things and experiment. If something works out well for you bring it to the group’s attention. It’s never a bad thing to help yourself and the group at the same time. Your group members may even start using your accountability tricks to improve themselves outside of the group.
Achieve More Through Accountability
It may not seem like it at first but accountability is a big part in becoming successful. You never know when something you are working on could change your life. It is important to surround yourself with people that also want you to succeed. Bringing those kinds of people so that everyone has a chance to achieve more. The more accountable you are for your actions the better. If you can bring people together with a common goal it makes it even easier. Don’t forget that one of the best ways to achieve success is to create a culture of accountability around you. Share your ideas and goals with friends and family. Find new people to spend time with that want to achieve more just like you do. If you think that someone you know would benefit from learning more about accountability share these ideas with them. Help others join our community of people that believe everyone can achieve more!
At some point in time most of us have asked ourselves “Why am I not successful already?” Well, it’s an easy question to answer; simply because if it was we’d all be driving around in exotic cars, taking 3 month vacations to foreign countries, or exploring the open oceans on our million dollar yachts. While this all may be; the real question you should be asking is “Have I been making the choices that will make me succeed in the future?” Being as none of us can foresee the future, the best thing to do is look at the options. What you can look at are if YOUR choices align with the choices of people that have already achieved success. Hence leading to our “5 common mistakes people are making that are preventing them from being successful.” The good news is that once you understand these mistakes, it is unbelievable how easy it is to change your mindset, and start making the same decisions many millionaires make every day!
The 5 Things Holding You Back
1) Not Setting Goals
Goal setting is something that everyone should do but most people don’t. When was the last time you wrote down your goals? I’m guessing it wasn’t recently and if it was they were probably small goals or a to do list. Goal setting is really about setting up big goals that challenge you. It’s about turning your dreams into something that is achievable.If you are setting goals you are creating a roadmap to success. This road map will let you create big goals and big models that will push you to achieve things you couldn’t do before. Don’t go along with the crowd and ignore goal setting. Not setting goals is one of the big drivers in why you aren’t successful already.
2) Paying Yourself Last
Have you ever noticed that when you get a paycheck immediately everyone is asking for a part of it? You end up paying for taxes, food, housing, entertainment, and transportation. If there is anything left over at the end of the month you use that as you investment money if you are lucky. Most people have more month than money and that’s never a good thing. This is known as paying yourself last.What you want to do is pay yourself first. Start off with a small percent (1-3%) and increase this until you are up to at least 10%. This is money you pay yourself first. It may be tough at first but over time you will adjust. This payment towards yourself should go into an investment that over time will pay you. It can be anything from school to real estate to stocks or even commodities. If you don’t know anything about investing find a professional that can help or if you’re more hands on you can learn yourself. Just remember that if you aren’t paying yourself no one else will. Don’t let others decide where your money is going.
3) Your Network Needs Improvement
Have you ever noticed that successful people hang out together? That’s not a coincidence. The successful people in society have learned that the people they associate with make a huge impact on their lives. This can be seen on the opposite end of the spectrum as well, unsuccessful people tend to spend most of their time with people that are also unsuccessful.Take a look at the 5 people you spend most of your time with. Are these 5 people striving for greatness or have they accepted mediocrity? If they aren’t striving for greatness they are holding you back. This doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t talk with them. What this means is it is time to work on your network. The best way to do this is to find the type of person you want to be like and start spending time with them. One of the big goals you should be creating is finding a mentor that has already done the things you want to do. They can share advice and guide you on your way to success. If you don’t know where to find them look for clubs related to your interests. Don’t forget that you are the sum of the people you spend the most time with!
4) Lack of Education
Education is something that scares a lot of people. If someone randomly told me my lack of education was holding me back my first thought would probably be “but education is expensive”. That may be true in some cases but you don’t need formal education to create a better life for yourself. One of the best ways to educate yourself is through reading. Books and eBooks are also a great way to get mentorship that I had mentioned before. You don’t need to meet someone to learn from them. If you read a book it gives you the opportunity to expand your mind by looking into the thoughts of someone who has experienced more. That seems like a great way to learn. You don’t even have to read now that audiobooks are easily accessible. Another great way to learn is through online courses or certification programs. Some of the programs can cost money but others are free. Depending on what you are interested in you can Google courses and certifications and find what you are looking for.To become successful you need to create a skill set that causes you to stand out from the crowd. These skills can be learned in many different ways. All you have to do is spend the time to educate yourself when others are wasting time.
5) Wasting Time
Wasting time is one of the biggest things holding people back. Have you ever tracked how much time you spend on social media or watching TV per day? It’s definitely something you should track because the average time on social media is up to 2 hours per day and TV is up to 5 hours. Can you imagine what you could do if you had an extra 2-7 hours per day to spend on achieving your dreams?Instead of wasting your time, schedule out your day with time blocks. A time block is a 15+ minute time period that you set aside specifically for a task. I personally use 1 hour a day for reading. That time block is the same every day and has become a habit. Habits make things easier. Use these time blocks to create your goals/plans, expand your network, educate yourself, and learn to invest. Once you’re using your time properly you’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish!
It’s Time to Become Successful
Success is not something that comes over night. It takes time to create habits and change your mindset. One of the best ways to go about becoming successful is to share your ideas. When you share your ideas you find people that are like you. Finding people like yourself allows you to build your network. You can even have people join in on your pursuit of excellence. These people will become your accountability partners. Teach them about how important it is to set goals. Show them how paying yourself first has allowed you to create extra income. Educate people on the topics that you’ve educated yourself on. Don’t forget to show them how much you have accomplished when you became accountable for your time. There is no limit to what you can do!If you think you are ready to start making a difference your life and others share these concepts with your friends. Some of them may not like that you are trying to better your life but that’s ok. Find the people that want you to succeed and invite them on your journey. It’s time for you to create your own success and stop making excuses!
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