“It’s on the list.” How many times have you said that this past week? As your list of things to do grows longer, sometimes your priorities get a little shifted. Keeping on top of everything can be incredibly tough, particularly if you are a solopreneur. If no one other than yourself is keeping you in check, your goals can easily jump off the tracks. That’s where joining an accountability group can help your business. 

Accountability groups are good for more than just support. An accountability group is a small group of people who meet regularly to check-in on each other’s progress with specific goals. It’s not a social call to talk about what all is happening in your life and your business, but rather, to be focused on your progress. Yes, you can talk about challenges and ask for help around problem solving and cheer each other on with each success, but the focus is, well, being accountable to your goals. 

BUILDING GOOD HABITS

Life is crazy. That’s not news. It’s full of distractions and squirrels that constantly want our attention and deter us from focusing on what needs to be done. Getting into the habit of monitoring your progress, evaluating your actions, and troubleshooting your challenges is going to make you more effective at following through on goals in the future. When you are doing this on your own, having someone else pipe up to say “Are you coming?” can provide that motivation to not just keep at the goal, but to keep measuring your progress. 

FAIL…AND THEN TRY AGAIN

We learn from failing. If we keep waiting for perfect, it’s never going to happen. It’s so easy to give up when you fail at something, but if you can step back from the emotion and look objectively at what happened, pick out the lessons and learn from it. Then readjust and try again.  

STAYING CONSISTENT

Slow and steady wins the race. Yes, charging ahead full speed can be fun, but timely planning and consistent action can be a little less stressful. Accountability groups help you stay consistent in taking actions towards achieving your goals. 

STAYING FOCUSED

We already talked about the squirrels. We know you have a few of them. How easy is it to set aside one pile of work and focus on another, thereby putting off a certain goal? When you have two or three other people who are there expecting a weekly check in, it makes it a heck of a lot easier to stay focused on your goal.

 ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP TIPS

Should you decide an accountability group is for you, we’ve got a few tips to help you build one that will be beneficial to everyone.

1. Focus on a single, SMART goal. Make sure that it is an achievable, clear goal. 
2. Keep the group small, and try to find people who have things in common (ie, if you are a solopreneur, find other solopreneur. If you conduct business solely online, look for others who do. Having group members who can relate is valuable.) 
3. Stay on topic and on time. Keep the conversation centred around your goals and put a specific time limit on each person. Put conversations in the parking lot if something needs deeper exploration. 
4. Be honest. If you aren’t going into it 100%, you aren’t going to get what you need. Be prepared to get real in these meetings about what is happening with your goal. 
5. Set actionable tasks. At the end of each meeting, make sure that each person is walking away with a clear picture of what their next move is. 

Are you thinking that you’d benefit from an accountability group but don’t know where to find one? Head on over to our community, The Hustle + Flow Society and drop a comment in there! You never know who else might be thinking about it, you could find your perfect match there!