Following Through On Your Goals

Most people I've come across who run their own business have goals planned out for what they want to accomplish. They are really passionate about their goals and want to achieve them but for some reason never seem to get there because "life" gets in the way.

A large benefit of any Mastermind Group should be the Accountability Partner. If you commit to someone else you are more likely to follow through on your goals than if you just tell yourself. Having someone to push you and bounce ideas off of also helps.

Blogger Debbie Lousberg discussed this topic in a recent post of hers:

"Get support. Find a friend, coworker, or hire a coach to keep you accountable and moving forward. Check in weekly with that person to track progress and celebrate victories you have along the way."

By sharing your goals with someone and asking them to help you stay on track toward achieving them, it's not so easy to just shove them into a drawer for the next several months and hope they come true somehow. A little bit of self-induced pressure to meet a goal and keep your word with someone is great motivation! Choose this person carefully - someone who is objective, not too emotionally tied to you, and won't let you off the hook. Your "accountability partner" may be a friend, co-worker, mentor, coach, or even a small group of colleagues, such as a Master Mind group. Even better if you can reciprocate by holding them accountable to their own goals.

Make arrangements to meet or phone the same time every week to check in on progress and successes. As this person becomes more understanding of your goals and actions, they may be able to provide ideas, information, contacts, and resources as well. They become an important piece of your network.

Building A Success Team

Hueina Su recently posted to her blog about Building A Success Team. Among her suggestions to building the success team, she discusses: Accountability Partners, Calling in the Professionals, Coaching, and Daring to Connect.

Of particular interest to me was her thoughts on Finding the Right Crowd and Masterminding:

Be very careful about who you tell your goals and dreams to. You want to share your dreams and goals only with those who will support your vision, believe in you, and help you succeed. Sometimes as you make positive changes in your life, you would find that not everybody around you is happy and supportive of your new endeavor. Even your own family or friends could be "pulling your leg", because they might be jealous or afraid that your relationship will change. So, be very careful to keep your dream and goals only to yourself and those who you know will support you.

Jim Rohn, self-made millionaire and successful author, said "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with". You want to surround yourself with people who are more successful, or at least as successful as you. You will be inspired by them and receive resources from them. Joining or creating a mastermind group is a great way to surround yourself with like-minded, driven, successful people that will propel you to higher level of success.

If all your friends want to do is complain about their problems, maybe it's time you make new friends. Don't get me wrong. Sometimes you do need to vent and release the emotions. But, there is a clear distinction between occasional venting and chronic complaining. If you find yourself in "The Whiners Club", get out of there and join a mastermind or support group instead.

Mastermind Accountability Partner

One of the greatest benefits of a Mastermind Group is to have accountability partners. In our groups, members pair up with each other and have a call once a week to discuss their goals. The idea is to have members push each other to achieve their goals as well as get new strategies on how to overcome obstacles. When you commit to someone else you are more likely to follow through than if you just commit to yourself.

The eMoms at Home Blog had a great post that mentioned the importance of getting an accountability partner:

Get an accountability partner
No matter if I am working for myself, or working for someone else, every year I have a hard time focusing on work in December. It's one of my favorite times of the year and family comes first. But if you drop the ball too much now, you will go into overwhelm mode in January, and lose precious business opportunities along the way. Here is my simple formula for being accountable: Create consequences. If I don't do things on my "Must" list, my Mastermind Group holds me to my self-imposed leverage. Like I would have to give each person $250, or I would have to destroy a favorite photograph, or I would have to grow out my usually well hidden moustache (remember I am a mom, not a dad ). I actually feel far less stress when I don't procrastinate.