I was speaking with a "marketing guru" the other day. He told me he didn't believe in holding people accountable to goals or specific behaviors that are proven to produce results.
He told me, "I help people paint the picture of their vision for their success. The vision excites them. Then they take the appropriate action."
I said, "That sounds great, as far as it goes. But what happens when the fear kicks in? What happens when their limiting beliefs, those old messages they've been telling themselves for years, kick back in?"
He didn't have an answer for that.
Enter the importance of accountability. Don't get me wrong. I'm a big believer in "vision work." I think it's extremely important to have a clear and up-to-date vision for where you want to take your business (or your life in general). Without a vision, you are doomed to mediocrity.
However, the vision alone is not enough. There are two more important, critical, ingredients to phenomenal success - with referrals or any other aspect of your life.
Accountability
My life's experience - business and person - has taught me that one of the best ways to move through fear and turn limiting beliefs into expansive beliefs is by being held accountable to those behaviors I've been avoiding.
So my message to you here is very simple. First, make a list of the top 5 behaviors you need to engage in regularly that you are not doing now. Behaviors that you're avoiding completely or merely sporadic at best.
Second, find yourself an accountability partner. This could be a colleague, a friend, or even a manager. I don't usually recommend spouses, but that's for you to decide. This needs to be someone who believes in you, the work you do, has expansive thinking, and truly cares about your success.
Third, set behavior goals with each other and get to work. When the fears come up, you know your partner is going to call you a wimp and/or collect $10 or $50 (your accountability penalty) from you for each behavior goal that was missed It should be painful enough so that you change your behavior.
Note - I suggest you make this accountability thing fun. Celebrate your successes and hold each other accountable in fun ways. The penalty for not making your goals can be money - but it can also be things like doing pushups, buying lunch for your partner, etc. Get creative and keep changing the "penalty."
Action
Of course, this is the most important ingredient of the three. Visions are great, but without effective action, your vision is pretty useless.
I strongly suggest you keep track of your behavior - measure your success. I like to say, "Keeping the score raises the score." Keeping the score puts your attention on your behavior and on the results of your behavior.
Another expression I like is, "What you put your attention on grows stronger in your life." Watch your actions and measure your results. Have a simple way to track your behaviors and goals.
Also, be keenly aware of the fears, doubts and other blockages that emerge and use your accountability partner to process those and move forward in a positive (results-oriented) way.
3 Simple but Critical Ingredients
Okay... So you've heard all of this before in some way or another. Are you doing this? Personally, I engage in this 3-step process all the time. I have two business study groups (or Master Minds) and one personal group. I'm not sure where I would be without those groups of people who care about my success and are always willing to share "their truth" with me.
Bill Cates, The Referral Coach
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