How accountability leads to successfully completing goals
While facilitating a leadership session focused on personal and professional success habits a few months ago, I shared one of the most important elements of success in life is action. Having a vision, goals, and intentions are important, but often the gap of where you are and where you want to be comes down to taking consistent action on your goals and plans.
During an exercise I led the group through, we talked about cleaning up incomplete tasks in your life. I admitted that I have been putting off executing our family trust for years.
Over the past seven years, I have updated and printed the trust three times, but never had it notarized. I committed to the group that I would take action and complete the trust. Then something happened that spurred me into action. One of the participants raised his hand and said he also wanted to update his will, and that we could be accountability partners. We committed to completing these actions by the end of May, and that we would check in then.
Guess what happened?
I finally executed the trust! Having an accountability partner who emailed me to check in made all the difference (thanks, Perry!).
This is an excellent strategy we can use both personally and professionally.
For harder, time consuming, or challenging tasks and projects that you tend to procrastinate on, committing to someone else your plan for action can give you the extra accountability you need to follow through.
This is one area leaders often struggle with: putting off the important for the urgent, and spending their days reacting to interruptions and issues rather than intentionally scheduling and focusing on their priorities. It’s human nature to focus on what’s easy and avoid tasks that are harder, longer, or unpleasant.
Our brain gets a hit of dopamine when we accomplish something, which is why checking small things off your list makes you feel good (I sometimes add something to my list that I’ve already done, just to check it off!), even if it’s not contributing to your most important result areas. Those small activities make us feel like we are getting a lot done, but often we aren’t working on the right things.
Just like a clear deadline tends to increase action and accountability with employees, you can use the same strategy on yourself.
Ask a colleague to hold you accountable for important projects, tasks, or even personal things like exercise to increase your own accountability.
For example, at dinner last month, my friend and I talked about how we want to start adding strength training into our workout routine. We both committed to do strength training three times a week and check in with each other each Friday. I haven’t hit that goal 100% of the time, but I’ve achieved that goal 80% of the time because I know she will be checking in with me each week. If we didn’t set up that check in, I wouldn’t have felt as compelled to follow through, even though I think the goal is important.
Perhaps there’s a challenging conversation you’ve been putting off having with an employee or a big project that takes a lot of energy and time that keeps getting moved to the next day on your to do list. You know you should get into action, but the little things keep getting in the way. Maybe you want to start leaving the office at a decent time or get to bed earlier during the week.
Commit to a trusted colleague when you will complete something, or share with them a new habit you want to implement and ask them to follow up with you.
This might be the extra step you need to achieve your goals.
Even high achieving professionals sometimes struggle with taking action on important tasks or projects.
Committing to an accountability partner is a smart strategy when you find yourself putting off the things that matter in your life.
I really love and enjoy this reading. Reading this I learned that when you speak out clearly you thoughts and ideas people see you as winner, because you are not afraid to go straight to the point.
Great article.....And happy belated birthday! Welcome to my world, young lady!
Whenever I have a work project that I keep putting off - I think about delegating that project to someone else - which accomplishes 2 things- it gets the project done and frees us my brain space thinking about it.
Good morning. I loved this read. Thank you so much for sharing. Sincerely, Melissa :)
Thank you for this blog Laurie. I liked most part and specially "As organizations have become more complex, there is a tendency to require employees to do more with less. This is a slippery slope, and often can result in employees feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. One of the biggest contributors to this is not evaluating resources during the strategic planning process." I will use this practice "A best practice is to do what I call Priority Planning—putting important practices on your calendar ahead of time so they become a priority in your day. Examples of activities to Priority Plan include scheduling recurring coaching sessions with each team member, time for strategic thinking and planning, vacations, doctor appointments, important children’s events, and blocks of time for focused work on projects." To be more effective, I will get a good rest so I can have enough energy in the morning. I will read the blog again along with the other links on employee evaluation. Thank you so much Laurie. Best wishes to you and your family.
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I love the feedback on the more than 50 hours of work. AND filling time. So true. Unfortunately, showing that you work longer hours is still seen as being a "hard worker" - not sure how to change that though.
I enjoyed the read. I concur that transitioning from technical skills to delegating results was a task within itself. I did not realize I was almost trying to do the same thing from my previous position, and it was not working. However, I am seeing the results of how delegating daily tasks makes my job and workload easier. Thank you, Laurie.
Thank you for sharing information about your trip Laurie! All 3 things resonate with me - probably #1 being the biggest. I know when I'm gone for a week, I'm still thinking about work and need a vacation when I get back because I did not relax enough. I think your idea of a longer vacation is definitely in my future!!
Hey Laurie, My take on your list - 1 - everyone has a story - listen 2- social media causes interpersonal problems 5- generational differences create hurdles / earn it you aren't entitled / we should help them get there not give it to them 6 AMEN some leaders I would have followed thru Hell, some I wish - well, you know 7- true BUT be as good as your word and 14- Hopefully we leave some good from our efforts, I know the good leaders I have had have. Seen a lot in my career but it really comes down to treat others the way you want to be treated, fair, honest, and straight forward. Good read. Take care
I love this so much and thank you so much for sharing! I really just love realizing that enjoying the simple things sometimes is the best! Also recognizing that what is important and fun to you may not be everyone else's fun on the on the trip. “Do we get to keep these toiletries?” was my favorite!!!! :):) Glad you had a great time and got to spend it with your family!
I very much resonate with lesson no 3! Thank you Laurie
I think the part that you might have missed in their top 5 things, some of which were not "Italian" or even different from home, all of them happened with you, both of you. And i think that is what they will remember too. And you've got tons of photos that will remind them of what the Sistine Chapel looked like - then they might remember what it sounded like or smelled like. Oh- and i agree with you 100% about sleep!
LOTS of great take-aways from this post! Thank you for posting! I especially love "slow down to speed up". That's a keeper!
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the not getting enough rest to be at my best. definitely need to get more quality sleep and make that a priority
It really is hard to narrow down the 3 lessons into one because they are all so interconnected. You need to give your mind and body THE TIME to relax SO THAT you can enjoy the SIMPLE THINGS, including REST. I enjoyed that lesson as a whole. I will take that lesson with me on my next vacation (or staycation). As always, thank you Laurie for your candor and for sharing your own lessons with others so that we too can benefit.
Great information and reminders
Laurie, Thank you for sharing your trip and these nuggets. The lessons that resonate most with me are it does take time to relax and getting proper rest. When you devote 15 plus hours of your day for work, taking care of home and others; the 6-7 hours you lay down does not cut it! For me during this time I'm trying to unwind and find myself thinking fighting not to think about what I have to do tomorrow. Even after I create a to do list for the next day...I find things I need to add. Taking a day off here and there doesn't cut it as well because of all the plans you have for that day. I try to make sure my Mental Health Days remains just that.... time for me to laugh, cry, scream.... whatever I need to release the cares and stress!
Really enjoyed the article... and all very true!
Since I was already well aware of #1 (I'm in the same boat with taking a long time to relax), I think I'm resonating most with #3. I'm learning to prioritize sleep / rest and it's been wonderful. Love that you said "I love sleep.". :)
Welcome back from vacation. Well deserve! Action is the key to success. Shoulder to shoulder, coaching and delegating task to help other employees grow are very important. It is a sacrifice that one must do. Forget about yourself and be with your team day in and out to help them grow, is not always easy. On the long run, your team is stronger, and you can depend on them for the success of the organization. Thank you so much!
So many great tips here, thank you!
I am so impressed you're able to disconnect and these are great tips I'll be sure to try on my next trip!
Such a great post - so inspiring!