I was on a roll, creating some good stuff for soc med. You know the feeling: ideas are coming fast, and they’re all something that will help your readers. You’re on it!
Canva, my CRM, and my scheduling calendar were all open and humming. I was so proud of myself. (Yeah, well, remember: pride goes before destruction!)
Then it occurred to me. I had ignored some non-overwhelm advice I’ve preached to you for years:
I ignored “Follow your process”
I let my creativity frenzy spill over into time allocated to other projects. Oops.
This lapse was especially bad, timing-wise.
There was this pesky problem of an action item from last week.
My accountability partner expected to see my results.
T.o.m.o.r.r.o.w.
It was mid-afternoon, and I hadn’t started the task.
SECTION I: What is an Accountability Partner (AP)?
My AP’s job is to gently pull me up short when I blow it. I didn’t want to face that, so I had to scramble and work late to catch up. See? The Queen of Non-Overwhelm can mess this up, too!
Here are the five items I consider when choosing people to hold me accountable to my promises. I suggest finding someone you:
- Know will be honest with you.
- Can trust to be objective.
- Believe can get you back on track if necessary.
- Know will have your back if you run into problems.
- Can use as a sounding board, especially when considering changes.
SECTION II: How do you find an accountability partner?
Who came to mind when you read the bulleted list, above?
- “That’s _________. She’s always there for me.”
- “Oh, that could be _________, because he always ‘holds my feet to the fire’ ….”
- “_________ and I do this for each other all the time.”
There you go! Pick the best fit for your current project and ask for their help.
Tell them it’s just for X amount of time (I suggest only one or two hours total, if possible), and you’ll work within their schedule.
You’ll need several touchpoints throughout your project to stay on track and accountable to your schedule.
That’s 60 minutes of your AP’s time over one month. Probably doable.
Depending on the project type, you might ask someone different next time.
Now you have the formula for making your choice.
SECTION III: How can you be a good accountability partner?
This one is easy-ish. Follow the list in SECTION I and be that person.😊 Often, you’ll discover the one you select also needs an AP. You can swap duties, and both benefit from that fresh pair of eyes.
SECTION IV: Wrap up
The project I mentioned at the beginning of this article wouldn’t have been completed on time if it hadn’t been for my AP.
We must wisely choose our accountability partners, support them in their endeavors, and try not to disappoint … them or ourselves.
Are you with me?
Let’s get ‘er done!
Thanks for stopping by. I hope this article will help you find an accountability partner for your next project and those going forward. This method helps me non-overwhelm this issue, so I thought I’d pass it on.
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Kathie
Kathie York is the Queen of Non-Overwhelm, and her passion is to help you reach peace and calm in work or life. In 2022, Kathie launched her practical, non-overwhelming (!) Goals Accountability Blueprint training. She added the colorful, budget-friendly ACHIEVE! Goals Toolkit interactive workbook in 2024, and the ACHIEVE! Non-Overwhelm Toolkit is coming by 2026.
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