That quote is from my good friend Brian Crane, one of the founders of Intero Real Estate Services in the Bay Area.
You know how sometimes, when you're listening to someone speak, and then a word or sentence jumps out at you and slaps you in the face?
That's what happened when I heard Brian say these words.
Over the years, I've continued to make a consistent effort to be accountable for my actions, to set lofty goals, and to follow-through on my plans. And one of the many things that I've discovered in my lifetime is that goal achieving simply can not be done alone.
As hard as we might try, we (human beings) are just not capable of holding ourselves fully accountable.
We need other's help.
In Bob Proctor's book, "It's Not About The Money", he cites a study where they looked at person's likelihood of accomplishing their goals - based upon them just saying "Ill do it" - versus sharing their goal and their progress toward that goal with someone else.
That "someone else" is what I call the Accountability Partner.
The results were astounding...
The bottom line is that when you engage an Accountability Partner, you increase the likelihood of accomplishing your goal - remarkably up to a 95% chance of achievement!
Compare that to when we take the accountability role upon ourselves, at best, we've got a 50/50 shot of reaching the goal. I don't know about you, but I'm not too fond of those odds.
When we set goals, the primary objective should be to set ourselves up to win!
The best type of Accountability Partner is a coach or mentor. This is because they are intrinsically motivated to see you excel, and they also benefit from your growth. But a formal coaching arrangement is not entirely necessary. You can dramatically improve the quality and quantity of your results by seeking out a willing and capable Accountability Partner from within your sphere.
And selecting the right partner is a critical key to the accomplishment of your goals.
Here are a few questions and tips to help you to identify, select, and engage with your new Accountability Partner.
1) Who's getting the results that YOU desire? - Let's face it... In order for an accountability relationship to be massively effective, they are going to need to "speak your same language". They need to understand your industry, your challenges, and what it takes to be successful in your chosen field. Not only philosophies, but also a working knowledge of the day-to-day issues you will face as you work toward your goals.
2) Are their core values evident, even without having to ask them what they believe in? - You need to get good at detecting the core values that matter... Discipline, honesty, honor, a service-first mindset, and transparency. Someone that embodies all of the above is uncommon, but they certainly do exist, and are worth seeking out.
3) Are they working toward a big, hairy, audacious goal of their own? - If they are driven to accomplish their own seemingly-impossible goals, you can bet they wish that they had an Accountability Partner as awesome as you! Now is not the time to be shy, it's time to ENGAGE!
4) Are they likable? - I'm sure you've met your fair share of Type-A drivers that are less-than friendly, or that are motivated to succeed at all costs. These people are not for you. And you're not necessarily looking for total altruism either, although that may be commendable. You want your Accountability Partner to be kind, smart, achievement-driven, and easy to talk to. Since you're going to be connecting with them frequently, this cannot be understated.
5) Do they wear the same kind of underwear? - This part should seem pretty obvious. If you're a guy, seek out a guy. If you're a gal, seek out a gal. Remember what I said about "speaking the same language"? Your like-minded partner needs to be similarly packaged. And the easiest way to avoid the possibility of misunderstandings or impropriety is to never put yourself in that type of situation in the first place.
6) Do they have the strength to be genuinely honest with you? - This is different than "brutally" honest. Genuine honesty comes from a place of love. They need to care about you in a way that allows them to not let you make excuses for yourself. Your partner needs permission from you to tell you like it is, in the spirit of helping you to stretch yourself. This is the only way that you can become the person that will be required to ascend to the new heights that you are aspiring to reach.
7) Get it on the calendar. - If it's not on your calendar, it's simply too easy to let things slide. (Which is the polar opposite of accountability!) Pick a regularly scheduled day and time of the week or month, and stick to it. If you miss a meeting, get right back on the schedule the following week or month. That's the best and only way to get back on track.
I'd like to encourage you to consider these tips, and if you do not currently have an Accountability Partner, now is your time. Yesterday doesn't really matter all that much...
For more ideas on accountability, or for help in locating an Accountability Partner, send me an email at jshoop@coachshoop.com .
The time to begin working on your new goals is TODAY!
Until next time, be creative!
J. Shoop
www.coachshoop.com
J. Shoop, is a professional coach, speaker, and author of "The Other Secret". His mission in life is to inspire, educate, and help others to become consciously aware of their unlimited potential for greatness. For more info on his services and to connect with him, send an email to jshoop@jshoop.com.
