Why Accountability Is Essential In Your Business

Accountability is one of the number one things you need as an entrepreneur, or whenever you’re trying to achieve a big goal.

Unless you’re a super action taking unicorn that’s just go, go, go and never has any wobbles.  

When you’re your own boss, or simply trying to hit a big personal goal, it’s even more important than usual to be accountable to someone, whether it’s yourself or someone else!  Without it everything feels like an uphill battle.

Your Job vs your business

Think about it, in a job you have deadlines, bosses and team members, people who need things from you at a certain time in a certain way, people you’re accountable to left right and centre.  

All that goes out the window once you’re in charge of YOU.

Now I’m very lucky I’m a big self starter and always have been, the thing I need to watch is too MANY self imposed deadlines that aren’t really deadlines at all.  

Even i’ve set up my accountability circle

BUT even I have countless people I’m accountable to that keep me going.

I have a group with hundreds of ladies in it that expect me to show up, thousands of listeners on the Positive Pants Podcast every month that expect an episode to be there every Monday morning waiting for them, my mastermind ladies and clients who PAY me to show up for them, coaches I’VE paid to make sure I show up, friends, family, my husband, people I tell my plans to, people I tell I will do a certain thing by a certain time, the list goes on.  

The bottom line is that they all keep me on track, they keep me accountable, they keep me actually doing the things I committed to and said that I would that will get me to where I want to go.

This is the beauty of forcing yourself to be accountable, you’ll actually do those things you’ve been putting off.  Those things that take you outside your comfort zone. It will help you prioritise what you need to do by when.

It can be SO tough when we’re procrastinating or overwhelmed to just stop. Stop taking action, stop moving forwards and it’s easy to get into that habit and in the worst scenarios it can keep us stuck in our excuses and even make us give up altogether.

Can you think of some things you’ve achieved where you were accountable to someone that you KNOW you wouldn’t have done if you weren’t…but you’re really glad you did it?

Get out of that comfort zone!

Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone is big and scary and something you need to really push yourself into.  

That can be one of the hardest parts.  When you don’t feel supported, you keep putting it off because you aren’t accountable to anybody…just because you can.

How do you feel when you do that?

All it’s doing is creating a negative loop of behaviors and a negative loop of thinking.  

You feel useless like you can’t do anything.  But you’re right. In that moment you’re totally right, so what are you doing?  

You’re reinforcing those thoughts to your brain to the point they become beliefs!

You now BELIEVE you’re useless and you can’t do anything.  Your confidence plummets, you stop doing anything and then where are you?

Sitting on your dreams with nothing changing.

Is that what you want?

It’s such a simple tweak to make to just make sure you’re accountable to someone.

It WILL get you to do the things because you don’t want to let that person down, you will push yourself more and take the action because you have someone else to answer to other than yourself, you’ll have some skin in the game.

It’s simple…but powerful stuff!

Need a Personal Trainer?

To get into a fitness regime you see it recommended time and time again to get a gym buddy to help you stick to your goals.  Why? Because you’re accountable to them, they’re relying on you to show up.

Then all of a sudden you don’t just have your own fitness journey to think about you have someone else’s that you’re also responsible for.  

Or to get a personal trainer or sign up for classes it’s even BETTER when you’re actually paying for it, you have a direct reason to go that’s beyond just you.  Nobody likes losing money do they?!

What’s your skin in the game?

I always say it’s that ‘skin in the game’ that you need to push you when you don’t want to push yourself.  

It’s the difference between where you are now and where you want to be.

Without accountability it’s all too easy to hide.

To stay inside your comfort zone and my friend that is NOT where the magic happens!

It makes it too easy to say ‘I’ll do that tomorrow.’ Well guess what…tomorrow never actually comes!

I’ve paid for things before purely because I need the accountability to get me through the tough bits because that’s when we need the most help.

Great ways to find accountability

Public declaration

If you’re a person who sticks to what you say you’ll do, declare your goals publicly.  Put it out there for all to see. What you’re doing and by when! When you have all those eyeballs waiting on you to do it you’ll be much more inclined.

Hire a coach or join a group programme.  

I’ve seen first hand just how powerful this is.  The benefits are PLENTIFUL with this option.

Not only are you accountable but you have complete support.  

When you get a case of the (inevitable!) wobbles or those mindset gremlins are creeping in causing you to procrastinate on your goal, or you’re feeling overwhelmed or lacking focus you have the accountability of your coach.  

If you’re in a group programme you have accountability and support from all the other group members too AND they will lift you up!  

When you see them doing the things you want to it will push you, it will drive you, it will show you what’s possible. Who you surround yourself with is SO important.  You need to be around people that make you feel like you can do anything, be anything!

Reward yourself

I love this one and it’s one I encourage my clients to do and one I do myself.  

Give yourself a positive reward for accomplishing the goal you’ve set.  It can be anything, it doesn’t necessarily have to cost money either.

It can be to give yourself a full hour in a bubble bath filled with lovely smellies and candles without feeling like you need to be anywhere else, but you can’t do it until you’ve done the thing!

At the end of the day it can and will make things easier for you.  It will make sure you’re always moving forwards and not getting in your own way.  How much do you want it?

Here’s one more thing to keep you accountable

If this has resonated with you then it’s your lucky day my friend.  I have been quietly running a beta round of my Proactive Pants Mastermind to help with alllll of this and today I am opening it up to you.

It’s a mastermind with a difference.  It will get you OUT of overwhelm and procrastination frustration and INTO positive action and moving FORWARDS.  The ladies in there have been making AMAZING progress so far and now i’m opening up the early bird so you can join them!

If you’re a female entrepreneur and you KNOW it’s time to get out of your own way and start REALLY getting stuff done in your business and you need help with overwhelm, procrastination, lack of focus AND you want a supportive network of people that have your back, and me and my eyes trouble shooting all the wobbles, mindset gremlins and the inevitable rollercoaster of creating your dream business then more information and the link to apply at the early bird rate is HERE.

I will be in your corner all the way, think of me as your biggest cheerleader and chief butt kicker to make sure you’re focussed, staying on track, actually taking action and taming those mindset gremlins along the way.

There are only 5 slots left at the early bird rate (25th September 2018) so make sure you get in quick.

Let’s get you out of that negative loop and taking the action you know you want and need to so you can create a business that you love.

Fx

Fran Excell, Subconscious Success Mentor – Helping Business Owners Overcome Self Sabotage & Get More Done In Less Time at www.franexcell.com

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