Freelance Life | Having an accountability partner
(Pic via Kit and Caboodle Coaching)
You may remember a little while ago, Marie from Kit and Caboodle Coaching, offered me a free life coaching session in exchange for an honest account of my experience (you can read it here). I felt such an amazing benefit from just that one session that I signed myself up for three more as soon as I got home!
I had my second session with Marie last week - and wanted to share one of the things that came up - which may help you (the freelancer/business owner/creative type/blogger/weight watcher etc).
One of the most difficult things about being a freelancer or owning your own business is effective time management (I have written some useful posts about it here). In my case, I have a whole HOST of different ideas and different things that I want to acheive and it's TOUGH trying to manage it all.
Something that I have maybe made mention on this blog before is my "Date Book" - a book that I am hoping to get published - which has been a work-in-progress now for more than two years.
The thing with having these "personal goals" to be working on (that don't equate to money in the hand right now) is that most often, when other work comes up (in the form of paying clients, projects, graphics, guestbooks, illustration etc) these "personal goal" projects are the first to be shifted out in favour of the immediate (monetary) benefit you can get from other work. This client work is obviously important, but it often comes at the sacrifice of other things.
HOWEVER, I believe that you DO have the time to complete the client work AND the personal projects - but what is it that makes you prioritise the ONE over the other?
The answer is ACCOUNTABILITY.
When a client approaches you and you enter into a "contract" - you (the creator/writer/artist/teacher/trainer/etc) become ACCOUNTABLE to that person. There is another person who is EXPECTING something from you. And (mostly) you will deliver what you need, to that person in the correct time.
When you have these 'personal projects' the person who you are accountable to, is only yourself and sometimes you are the easiest person to cheat on. It's the VERY reason why personal trainers exist. Of COURSE you know what a push up looks like, of COURSE you know that sit ups and burpees and squats will get that bikini body. You aren't paying for an exercise program (any pinterest screen grab can show you that), you are paying for ACCOUNTABILITY. And KNOWING that there is someone (at the gym at 5am) EXPECTING something from you.
So how can we translate this to a business model?
The answer is by getting yourself an "Accountability Partner"
Steps for choosing an Accountability partner:
1. After my session with Marie, we first decided what "progress" on this particular project would look like. (For me, it is two hours of work, twice a week.)
2. Next I decided to choose an "accountability partner". To choose this person, I think it is useful to have someone "external" (ie: Not Warren) and someone who this kind of partnership would be mutually beneficial to. In my case, I picked my friend Keri - who also has some personal projects that she is working on.
3. Once she had "signed up" (been forced)- we decided on a day and time that would be the cut off. (Friday 4pm) - which is the time when we will submit (via email) the work we have acheived during the current week.
4. In order to make it clear to the other person, we have decided to send the work along with a point form email detailing a) the work we achieved this week (also a nice personal victory to recount the things you've acheived) and b) a point form list of the project work we want to achieve by the next cut off. Having that little point form list is also super useful because in a way, it also makes you accountable to yourself - and what you say you will do.
Last week was the first Friday that we submitted to each other - and it is honestly a super empowering thing to feel like you are progressing steadily with projects that you need to be working on by having that external check to keep you accountable.
Do you have any tips for keeping yourself accountable? Which projects are the first to go when you get swamped with other things? Are you able to prioritise? I'd really love to know your thoughts and feedback! Leave a comment or whack some words on the indieBerries Fb page!
PS. If you feel like you need some direction and focus in your life - pop over to Kit and Caboodle - I can't recommend her enough!
PPS If you need some juicy words in your life - then hit up MidlandsMusings.
