What have you done?
You may need an accountability coach. Really.
On an episode of “You’re the Worst,” Jimmy asks his girlfriend, Gretchen, to send out three letters if he doesn’t meet crucial targets for writing his novel. The letters will result in increasingly terrible things if he misses the goals and they are mailed. This sort of motivation was just what he needed to meet his deadlines. We all have those nagging voices in the back of our head reminding us of the things we wanted to do, or were supposed to do, but we simply didn’t get around to them. Not getting them done is frustrating, but we don’t seem to get any closer to completing the projects or tasks.
It might be working on business development, upgrading a website, writing a business book or getting one’s financial accounts in order. For most of us, the list of things we want to do but aren’t getting done tends to be a long one.
If you can relate, perhaps it’s time to get yourself an accountability coach. Yep, you read that right.
This person can hold you accountable each week for getting things done, meeting your deadlines and achieving the goals you set for yourself. It is a little more structured than that, but that is the general principle.
I coach people on how to write business books. One client I recently took on simply wanted me to call him once a week to ensure that he had reached the writing target he set for himself. The threat of dramatic letters being sent out was not needed here.
He had been trying to write a book for 10 years with no result. Having someone call him once a week and hold him accountable was enough incentive to get it done. After a month, his book was half done and it was completed in two months.
Another client of mine, an accountant and business adviser, was struggling with business development for his firm. He had plenty of great ideas but not a lot of motivation to implement them. He started to use an accountability coach in New Zealand, and this guy was tough.
There were no excuses for missing the weekly accountability call, and if he checked in and reported not getting everything done — look out. This kind of tough love may not be for everyone, but there are those who need it. From my experience, this sort of coaching works best when a few tips are followed: Have a very specific and very simple process to follow: “You commit to getting this done by this date” — no excuses. You need to know exactly what it is you are trying to achieve, so the coach can help you break it down and get it done. Set up a day and a time each week for your accountability call: This needs to be a very high priority, with death being the only acceptable excuse for missing the call (and even death is questionable). Keep track of what you actually get done each week: Use a simple spreadsheet or journal stating “This week I achieved ... . ” This will be an impressive list in a few months and can help keep you motivated. Ensure there are ramifications of not meeting your weekly goals: This is a tough one, but you need to work this out with your accountability coach. I have one client who pays me a penalty fee (which I give to charity) when he fails to meet his goals. It was his idea because he acknowledges his weaknesses. Set new and more productive habits: Going to the gym for the first time after a sabbatical of a few years is very tough. We crawl out, knowing full well that the real pain will come in the next few days. But after a few weeks, we are breathing easier, lifting more weights, able to run around almost like an athlete.
The same principle applies when it comes to working with an accountability coach. At first it is tough, we tend to push back, get everything done the night before the call, tell white lies and so on, but in time we make it work. We plan our week better, and we actually start to look forward to the call because it is a great way to measure progress.
My prediction is that accountability coaches will be springing up all over and offering a weekly nagging service.
As much as the concept of paying people to hold us accountable is somewhat strange and perhaps a bit goofy, there is no doubt that it gets results.
And that’s what matters. Andrew Griffiths is an Australia-based entrepreneur and the author of 12 bestselling books on starting, managing and growing small companies. He is a founding mentor of the global entrepreneurial program Key Person of Influence.