Keeping Yourself Accountable

http://www.howtostartownbusiness.co.uk/keeping-yourself-accountable/ Let's break this down into three subjects: a) Time Management, b) Self-Motivation, c) Accountability Partner.

a) Time Management

How often can we get distracted by things like our e-mail, Facebook or a telephone call? Time just goes quickly by and we wonder what happened to it. What I do to keep myself on track is:

1. I don’t have phone calls coming in. I have an actual automated system where people telephone me then it comes through to my e-mail inbox and I can respond at a time that suits me.

2. I shut down Facebook when I don't need it and I look at the e-mails at the beginning of the day and at different times of the day. That way I’m organising my time so I’m not wasting time.

3. I always work using checklists because I will set a goal and know what my target is. It may be a project that I’m working towards. It may be a deadline that I’ve got, but there are milestones that go along the way to make up the completion of a task or even a bigger task or a project that we’re working on.

Everyday I'm writing down a list of things that have to be done so that I’m checking off as I go along, keeping myself on track, keeping my mind positive that I’m reaching my goal. This time I find is extremely important.

It is also more important when you're working with somebody else because we need to know if there are certain tasks or processes that are dependent one upon the other. If you've got somebody else working with you and they don't know that there’s a dependency there, well you could reach a stage where you’re both sitting waiting back for each other. It’s just like having a building process where the plumber is waiting on the electrician who’s waiting on the person doing the floorboards who’s waiting on somebody else and everything has to be done in a certain order or a certain sequence. Matching your time is important just as keeping yourself motivated.

b) Self-Motivation

There are times when we do lose track and we wonder what we’re doing and we feel at times: Are we going to achieve our tasks? Are we going to achieve our big goals? What I do is I have this why in my head. Why am I doing it? What’s the bigger reason?

Quite often the bigger reason or the why is not ourselves. It’s perhaps the people around you that are wanting to see the task or the project come to life. How would you feel to know that it’s being a success and imagine exactly what it feels? I actually condition my mind and say I’ve already done it. This is what it’s going to be like and I believe that I am the successful person. The task is a success. The project that I’m working on has been delivered. Everybody is happy. I always put myself in that state of mind. I’m conditioning the sub-conscience to be ready for success and to anticipate success.

Another thing that I do is I read and listen to others. I listen to mentors or people that I respect.