Have you ever been in this situation where you promise that NOW everything will change, you will forever act differently and this will be the beginning of your new life? However, sooner or later your old ways creep back in. In this quick tips episode of the Powerful Marketing Tips podcast, Mari-Liis Vaher shares 4 ways that you can keep yourself accountable and therefore make change last for good! Find the episode transcript below.
Have you ever been in this situation where you promise that NOW everything will change, you will forever act differently and this will be the beginning of your new life? Maybe you do it on New Year's Eve and promise to start working out every day? Or maybe after overeating you say to yourself: I will start my healthy lifestyle on Monday? Been there, done that, right?!
Well, there can be similar situations in your work life as well: promising yourself to start saying NO more often, only to find yourself overwhelmed under a pile of never-ending tasks? Or saying you’ll start being more PROACTIVE and PRODUCTIVE, only to find yourself reacting to unexpected situations all day?
Self-discipline can be really tricky because we are so used to negotiating with ourselves. It’s so easy - we always agree! But not doing what you initially promised yourself you’d do means that you are letting yourself down. Would you ever let somebody else down as many times as you have let yourself down? They would not be your friends anymore, right…? We step it up for others, but we also have to do it for ourselves!
Here are 4 accountability tips that help you to make the desired change happen for good!
- Track your progress. It is not only about the end goal but about the journey. Don’t just visualize the IDEAL END RESULT, visualize the work and commitment that needs to happen in order to get to that result. Break it down into small steps. Even 5 minutes every day is better than zero minutes. Schedule a time for doing that activity and then mark down every time you were successful - seeing your progress motivates you to keep going.
- Keep the habit. The most important thing is to keep the momentum going. For example, if you’re committed to moving your body every morning but then life happens and you are suddenly not able to set aside that 30 minutes or you feel a bit sick… Whatever it is, instead of completely breaking your habit, do the tiniest version of it. For example, instead of doing an intense 30 minute workout, do a 5 minute stretch or take a walk. Just keep the habit alive!
- Share your goals & progress with others. One of my favorite apps is HabitShare on which you can create your goals and then share it with your friends., it keeps you motivated because you know your friend will ask you if you haven’t checked in for awhile. On the other hand, if you see your friend being super active and successful, it also forces you to level up.
- Get a coach or join likeminded groups. I have had many coaches throughout my life, I have also been involved in many communities such as Brand Builders, FemCity, BNI, Marketing Masters, INSPIRE Mastermind and much more. Having to show up and talk to others about your progress really forces you to stop procrastinating and at least put in the minimum effort. And again… minimum effort is better than no effort at all!
So, to wrap up, we are so used to letting ourselves down but this has to change. You are worth of your own commitment. If you don't believe in yourself, who will? You are the most important person of your life, so start acting like it.
I hope this inspired you a little bit and I am always happy to keep you accountable with whatever you are going through. That is why we have created the Powerful Mastermind Club and our coaching program - to support you on your professional development journey.