Accountability & Productivity

“I didn’t get it done today. I’ll do it next week”. “I’ll work harder”. “Things will be different”.
I’m sure we’ve all made statements like this to ourselves at one time or another. While a lack of time and having too much to do does play a role in not completing tasks, the bulk of the problems comes from our lack of accountability. We struggle to complete things and vow to do better next time but then next time comes and at first, you’re doing well but a week or so later, you start to revert back to old ways and the cycle repeats itself.

Fortunately though, this does not have to be the case. Learning steps to improve your self-accountability and enacting them is crucial to fixing this ‘problem’.

If you’ve read the “About Me” section of this site as well as my previous blog post, , then you’ll know that I’m heavily involved in various projects and activities. All of my work along with the responsibilities in my personal life makes it extremely important for me to be accountable. I need to know that I am using my time effectively and that I am being productive.

So, what are some steps to help you become more productive:

1. Write things down. Whether you’re like me and prefer former planners or someone who likes a simple to-do list, writing things down allows you to have a physical notice.
2. Set goals. Set simple, realistic goals that you want to meet and lay out the things you need to do to accomplish these goals
3. Create a schedule. I’m all about scheduling. Whether you do it on a weekly, monthly or permanent basis, create a schedule that has set times for each area of your life.
4. Work in a neat environment. Having clutter and mess in your working space makes it a lot easier for you to get distracted and lose focus.
5. Don’t Multitask. I’m one of those people who always felt the need to be doing like 3+ things at a time. I thought this made me more productive but really, it leads to time wasting. If you spend 30 minutes working on ONE thing, you’ll get a whole lot more accomplished than if you spent one hour working on three things.
6. DO NOT DISTURB. If you have an iPhone, this is a “must-use” function. It essentially stops you from receiving any notifications while it’s activated. It’s so easy to get distracted when your phone is going off every five minutes. I use this function almost daily. You can set it so that your “Favorite” contacts will bypass the function.

Being productive means that I am effectively using my time and that I am more likely to be accountable. Here’s a list of ways to hold yourself accountable:

1. Same with #1 above-Write things down. When you’re able to see exactly what you need to do, you’re forced to face and address whether or not you’ve done the task.
2. Rewards. Everyone loves rewards. After you’ve written your goals and/or tasks, set rewards for yourself. For instance, I had a lot of trouble waking up early in the mornings but I recognize how important doing so is in being productive. So I set up a reward for myself. If I woke up and was ready for the day(by 5AM) for a month, I would treat myself to a new luxury handbag. Set whatever reward you think will motivate you. It can be as small as an ice cream at the local dessert bar or as lavish as a vacation to somewhere exciting. The key is for the reward to be something that you actually want and something that is attainable.
3. Accountability partner. This is something that I’ve recently started doing and it’s been so helpful. Find someone who’s also in a similar situation, share your goals with them and have check-in sessions. Pick someone who understands what you’re going through but isn’t too personally invested in you. For me, having a fellow entrepreneur as my accountability partner has been very beneficial. We share what we’re working on with each other, offer advice and frequently inquire about the status of whatever the other’s working on. This is one of the reasons why I started the Striving Flawlessly Facebook Group. I hope that other entrepreneurs can use it as a place to find their accountability partner.  ​

 Do you struggle with productivity and being accountable?  How are you actively striving to improve this?