When we’re honest with ourselves, we know that there will be many times where our motivation and discipline will waver. It’s a natural occurrence in all that we do and especially when it comes to being self employed.
This must be a major factor in why so many businesses or anyone dipping their toe in self employment fizzle out and never follow through.
What do we do?
One way to help you push through those moments where you’re lacking inspiration or drive to keep pushing forward is to have some public accountability. This can come in a number of different forms from having your online story, updates on social media or simply talking to friends, family or even strangers.
Reality Check
Now I’m not going to sugar coat it. Having public accountability can be very uncomfortable and for many will leave them feeling in quite vulnerable. This is especially when we openly talk about plans that have not come to fruition yet. While there is pain in this process, having eyes on you gives you some healthy pressure to avoid throwing the towel in early and helps you follow through with your intended plans.
The Upside
The benefits of sharing your ideas/plans with others far outweighs the uncomfortable moments. Not only do you open yourself up to perspective/feedback from others, but you can also build a real deep relationship with those around you that can turn into advocates of what you do. They will celebrate the wins and push you through the rough moments.
When you follow through and complete a goal, task or particular step in your journey, you’re also strengthening a trust with your audience who will see that you mean what you say.
Putting it into Practice
Speaking personally, I know that I have often kept my ideas/plans to myself and seen many of these things not become a reality. I believe that we can all make more of an effort to share our experiences with one another, it might just be that little bit extra to push us through the dips and achieve our goals.
Would you openly share your plans with others? Have you used the above approach to make yourself more accountable? Share your experiences in the comments below!