See below how to win a copy of The Me Project!
We are in the midst of s series about achieving your goals (see the first post and my to-do list at Tip # 1: Make a Monday List.)
This week I want to talk about the next most important ingredient in getting things done after making a list: Accountability.
When we find someone to hold us accountability to our goals, suddenly tasks that looked like they would take hours are broken down into minutes. Goals that have been dragging on our to do list for years suddenly are dusted off and have energy around them.
If you struggle with accountability in your own life, here are a few ways to have light – and not so light accountability in your list:
Post it on Facebook This is your lowest form of accountability. Post it on Facebook and tell people what you are working on. Somebody may – or may not – follow up. But just knowing that some random friend may ask is enough to keep most of us on task. This is good for things like getting the laundry done and finishing up a school project.
Email Someone The next lowest form of accountability, email gives you a way to reach out to people and say, “I need you to check up on me!” This is good for projects that need to be completed today. Only email people who “get” this form of accountability. This usually isn’t to taxing to the person you are asking help from – and you may be able to return the favor on the spot.
Call Someone This is great for urgent accountability – You have to send an email to someone that you don’t want to “engage” with or you need to get a project started and you don’t know where to begin. A phone call with a trusted friend is a great way to be able to brainstorm and have accountability for those hairy projects – school costumes that you don’t want to leave until the last minute, asking for accountability for doing bills for an hour (and you’ll call at the end of the hour to let them know how it goes.)
Meet Up with Someone I’m sitting in the middle of a Panera sipping iced tea with my friend Cheri. We both have big projects that we need to get started, and we knew that we if we could just get together and hash it out, we would be able to hammer it out. What we budgeted for two days of work we got done in two hours because we worked on it together.
Join a Group This is high level accountability. Think about running groups and Weight Watchers.
Home Goals
Make meal plans for the month of July (including trying two new healthy menu options)
Cook ahead two weeks of meals
Relationship Goals
Plan family party for Disney World (we are getting together to discuss our plans for our trip in November)
Plan an anniversary date with Roger
Me Goals
Walk 1 Mile, 3xs
Reread A Confident Heart (this time with a highlighter and my journal)
Business Goals
Outline future book: The Good Girl’s Guide to Breaking Bad Rules
Write three chapters for current book
God Goals
Next Names of God study
Read Chapter 1 of A Celebration of Discipline
And just for my own accountability, here is how I did on my goals last time:
Home Goals
Done Make meal plans for the month of June (including trying two new healthy menu options)
Done Research backyard shade solutions
Relationship Goals
Done Plan June Birthday parties/Father’s Day
Done Plan a date with Roger for Washington
Me Goals
Done Walk 1 Mile, 3xs (Did this every week except one…)
Done Read The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
Business Goals
Done Finish my speaker page
Done Read Podcast Launch – A Step by Step Podcasting Guide Including 15 Video Tutorials
God Goals
Done Names of God study
Done Extended Quite Time on Wednesday
Q4U: Post one thing that you want accountability for. Just one item on your list. Put it in the comments below and one of you will win a copy of The Me Project
For calling on Wednesday regarding a job interview last week. This is for a Christian organization. It sounded as though the interview went well, but he had said we would talk further early this week. I did not get any e-mails or phone calls. Earlier this year I thought I had a strong possibility of getting a job, the interview seemed to go well and the “bosses” were friendly enough. I called a week after the interview and I got chewed out! I no longer felt the desire for that job. So now I am hesitant to call, even though this is a different situation.
Working out
I need accountability for planning the girls birthdays–Katy’s is in twenty days and Ava’s just 18 after that. This is something that I keep putting aside for other things but I really need to get it done.
I need accountability for going through the forgiveness process and to continue reading “Forgiving the Unforgivable.” And to reconnect with my accountability and reading partner who was MIA.
I need to be accountable to write 2 hours at least 3 days a week. Since writing is my dream and my passion, you’d think this would be simple. Not. Procrastination keeps me from risking that the writing won’t be “good enough.”
I need to be accountable to finish the closet organizing project I began about 10 days ago. I’m so close…
Some of my goals for this week are dusting & vacuuming the house, finishing my freezer & pantry inventories, get my son packed and ready for camp next week and plan meals for my husband while I’m gone to my mother’s next week.
Gee the list could be so long, I would say most important is my morning time with God. Second would be more one on one with the kiddos.
Put my list into action: call cable company to reduce bill, talk with pastor, print out coloring sheets for 4th of July preschool class
My goals for the week: Meet my sister in Roanoke, VA to pass her my 16 yr old for a babysitter, reschedule an appointment and celebrate a couple friends’ birthdays.
I need to schedule several doctors appointments for the kids, for starters.
I am going to do at least 1 mile of indoor or outdoor walking every night after I put the kids to bed-starting today thru sunday.