The Impact of Accountability

You have a 76% chance of achieving your goal if you implement an accountability system.

Goal Research Summary, Gail Mathews

Think about the last time you wanted to start something new. Did you find yourself jumping right into it because you knew exactly how to get started, or did you find it to be a little difficult? How about the task you know would be good to get started early, but you somehow manage to wait until the last second to get started. For me, these are tasks that take a few extra steps like going to the doctor, doing the laundry, or going to the gym. Well, if you’re like some of us, you waited until the deadline or maybe even ignored it together. Pushing aside undesirable tasks is something we hear about a lot at The Goalden System, and we’ve been working to hold ourselves and our clients accountable for the tasks that must get done. 

Let’s explore the impact accountability has on our daily obligations. 

Each day, you are faced with a ton of decisions to make. We constantly have to sort through what is important, what needs to be done immediately, and what tasks can wait until later. Within this decision-making process, we are more likely to feel motivated to complete tasks that will benefit us, make us feel good, or are easiest to cross off of our to-do list. 

It is natural to avoid uncomfortable, less preferred, multi-step, or challenging tasks no matter how interested you are or how much time you have to devote to them because you’re experiencing a roadblock.  For some, once they hit a roadblock, they turn to something that is more instantly gratifying–think social media or watching a movie online. These are not helping you get the task done, but they are easier to navigate and you might find yourself avoiding the original task and switching to social media when a challenging tasks stops your production. For instance, it is easier to pull out your phone and scroll on social media or turn on a streaming service and watch a movie than do the other stuff. 

How do we sort through everything we need to accomplish daily and not live in a place where we are avoiding tasks? 

We regulate ourselves. This is a skill that is developed as we mature and we begin to recognize that there are some tasks that we need to complete no matter how difficult they may be. Another way we do this is by sharing our roadblocks with a trusted friend or mentor and use this outward-accountability to our advantage.

What is accountability?

Accountability is the process by which you put a system in place to support task completion. Your system may look like reminders on your calendar app, a sticky note with your list, a due date, or calling a friend to help you out. We all respond differently to support. That means it is important that you figure out a system that encourages you to complete your task instead of making you want to avoid it altogether. 

Why should I share my tasks and ask for accountability? 

You may be tempted to think that you can take on every task alone - we get it. We’ve all had this thought.  However, being open about your tasks and goals with someone else gives you the opportunity to have added accountability. Now, it isn’t just you that knows about your goal, but others too and chances are they will inquire about how things are going. By having someone else aware of your goals, you are more likely to have an open conversation about progress. Many times your brain will push aside a task and mark it as “unnecessary” and without any accountability involved, it’s too easy to walk away from a task. 

It is proven that by setting actionable tasks, along with written goals, and then sharing that with supportive peers the chances of attaining the goal increases by 40% (G. Mathews). So why not share your goals and increase your own chances of getting it done?

What does accountability mean at The Goalden System?

The Goalden System believes that accountability support is so effective that we have included it in the framework of our partnerships. Each person who works with us will have access to accountability meetings throughout the week. These meetings are a time for you to show up for yourself. When your day is looking really crazy, you can use these meetings as a time to carve some space out for you to get through your list without the option of avoiding the task. If you have a task you know you tend to avoid then scheduling in a time dedicated to completing the task would increase your likelihood of crossing it off of your to-do list.

What are accountability meetings like at The Goalden System?

We take pride in our streamlined scheduling service and make it so that scheduling a meeting is quick and easy. We offer accountability meetings throughout the week and all you have to do is utilize our link and sign up to schedule your time. You will instantly get an email link to the meeting and a meeting reminder in your Google Calendar! 

Each meeting is held virtually for 45-minutes. This may seem like a long time, but it goes quick! We ask that you bring to the meeting a task that you want to accomplish. The task you choose could be anything; fold some laundry, send some emails, do a deep dive into a report, make a list of phone calls or even physically organize a space. At the beginning of our meeting, you will share what task(s) you are trying to get done for our time together and what kind of support you may need from us. We will also confirm that you know the first step you need to take in order to get started. Then, throughout the 45-minutes, we will check-in and see how you are progressing through your task. If you get off track or get stuck, we will help you work through the difficulty and get moving again. Once the time is up, we will celebrate your progress. Yes, that’s right, celebrate! Why? Because whatever steps you take in an effort to complete a task is worth celebrating.

Consider accountability as an amazing support tool - not only does it help keep you on track, but it also gives you a person to celebrate the wins with! 
Looking for more information about what’s urgent and next steps when attacking your to-do list? Check out our recent blogs on urgency and Covey Quadrants.