I stopped off at home between the gym and the airport yesterday (after my 20th straight day working out) so I could record this short video for you.
It’s only 4 minutes. You may be familiar with the ideas – it’s about accountability, but NO MATTER WHAT, I promise that applying this in your life and business will cause a shocking improvement in how effective you are.
By the way, I did the post production on the plane down to Orlando, and fooled around with some geeky video stuff. That may explain it’s quirky nature…
No matter; go watch the video now and leave your comments on the blog.
[flv:http://mm.paullemberg.com.s3.amazonaws.com/AccountabilityVideo.flv http://mm.paullemberg.com.s3.amazonaws.com/AccountabilityVideo.jpg 480 360]
Paul it was great meeting you in Orlando at the Gaylord Palms.. I think step 3 is key, ensuring that every day your actions are consistent with your goals. Looking forward to more videos just like this!
Thank you, Paul! A very good reminder to those who already know and very valuable advice to those who did not yet. I liked it so much, that I put together a mind map based on your talk for everybody to use. Here is the link (direct download, so use right button unless you are on Mac, and pick Save As): http://www.internetmarketingpatterns.com/sites/default/files/PaulLembergsAccountabilityandMassiveAchievement.mm
As always, excellent advice, Paul.. thanks!
I would have made it six steps and added make it a habit. As you know we are ruled by habits. The key then it to make sure your habits are positive. Making those five steps a habit will change your life. You will stop doing the things that are moving you away from your goals and increase the things that work. Just keep following this pattern for a few weeks – CONSISTENTLY – and it will become a habit … then success is automatic.
Great points.
Great posting Paul – and the video quality is very good!
I came across a very unusual, free technique that rivals EFT/NLP for speed and effectiveness.
For the sake of ‘research’ I used it on a situation that kept coming back into my mind and it just worked!
For yourself and your readers here’s the link: http://www.pstec.org/
Best regards,
Gary …
Tell me more… Oh – there’s the link. I’ll take a look.
Simple, effective and powerful advice Paul. I enjoyed the video and the lesson in it. I am working on the list as soon as hit enter!
second response: I’m going to send emails to 4 people by tomorrow noon – I want another accountability match-up (did this years ago – fabulous). 4 emails: I can think of 4 people it could work with.
Most excellent . . . and rendered so plain to the understanding. These are great ideas and advice that would serve anyone, in business and life in general. Thank you, Paul.
Hi Paul, I love your videos. You’re direct, on topic, and brief. Most of all your work is a benefit to me and to anyone who wants to improve their lives or business. I thank you.
Hi Paul,
Yes, totally agree that if these goals are only written down you don’t act on them. All your 5 steps are part of the total strategy to achievement. Personally, I also had to let go of emotional things in the way, and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is amazingly valuable and effective for this.
Thanks,
Di
As weird as it is, EFT Tapping is definitely a cool technique. I use it myself from time to time.
good stuff Paul. Have heard it many times, but still can’t hold to it!! Thx for the reminder. btw – I think the “reason” and the “partner accountability” are the 2 most crucial steps. Will be setting these steps up and finding a partner to work with. Want to get a head start on the New Year’s “goal-setting season” 😉
gg
Interesting timing. My wife and I were talking last night about ‘fear of success’ and trying to uncover where that comes from in each of us, that maddening, powerful subconscious force that frustrates our conscious efforts to achieve our stated goals. We didn’t come to any great conclusions but we’re working on it. I really appreciate your thoughts and the video, but until we get to the root of this ‘fear’, a simple mechanical set of steps will not assure that we achieve our goals.
Hey George, check out my post and the comments here: http://www.paullemberg.com/blog/fear-of-failure-or-fear-of-success/. I don’t think it’s as subconscious as it may seem. If you can put a handle on what it is you don’t want to happen as a result of “success” you can do something about it. -pl
great video Paul – thanks! in my opinion, the most important step BY FAR is having an “external accountability partner” – most of us are not very good, or very consistent, at holding ourselves accountable – having someone who is detached, unemotional, accurate and specific in holding us accountable is a powerful, valuable ‘tool’ on our path toward personal and professional success
I think you have to start with the big “WHY” The powerful reason to set the goals in the first place. That will motivate you to take actions, write out your goals and continue on to your success as you define it.
Thx Paul, Good stuff!
Paul,
Those of us who are reading and responding to this post have no problem finding a compelling reason behind our personal goals. Those that we wish to influence do. And, we cannot impose our “compelling reason” on them. Not easily anyway. An employee can find a “compelling reason” to support a departmental goal if we threaten their future employment. But in many instances we can not really impose a goal and force a compelling reason on someone else. Goals that affect others (and require others cooperation to be successful) such as company, departmental, family goals nearly always fail – even if all the other elements are present – unless a leader can tap into a “compelling reason” on a personal and individual basis for each person in the unit.
The accountability partner was a new concept for me, working away at a key board is a solitary mostly affair. I like the idea.
Paul the videography your muckin about with? looked good.
Sean — accountability partner: do it on the phone!
I need to follow the advice. I will follow the advice, beginning right now!
Hi Paul,
Stomper member – saw your previous videos. Could not get this video to stream in either IE or Firefox?
Thanks,
Bill
Bill – not sure why, it seems to work for everyone else. (Except me, that is – but I’ve got a weak wi-fi signal in the hotel here.)
Great Post Paul! I use the same strategies leading mastermind groups to help people lose weight, and guess what? IT WORKS!! No magic bullets or quick fixes, just social support and accountability, one call a week with a group… pretty powerful. Most people know what to do, or if they don’t they get the support from the group. I get the same accountability with my business meeting with other coaches like me to improve my business… I definitely get more done with the combined resources and assets of the group that would not otherwise be created… or at least not as quickly. Everyone wants the same outcome… and we just do it!
Paul yes this works if you are in the state you need to be and have this as a habit. However if it is not a habit you won’t just do it. You will think about every single thing you do before you do it. And its a major problem.
So how can I add to this? And why would you listen to me?
I have been where Paul is talking about. But this all starts yesterday. If you want to just do it now, if you aren’t in the right state now you won’t.
Schedule a time to write out your weekly goals.
In the morning get active instead of reactive!
Make it a habit.
Accountability will work but there are a few things that need to be in place before this happens. I am sure paul has some habits that enable him to ‘just do it’.
But wait, there’s more…
Coming soon to a blog near you.
Only half kidding, this is obviously a part of a larger system. And it is a key part I rely upon.
Tres Good…..
Oh, and today, I just finished day 22 in a row. I’m feeling pretty good about that. -pl
Hi Paul, I liked all the steps – and remember how powerful the final one is. I took 8 months off to write my PhD thesis – and spent the first month basically drinking coffee. Then 2 steps: I talked toward the end of the afternoon, just about every day, with someone else stuck writing her thesis. Things started moving. I finished my thesis exactly on my end date: Nov 30 (by working late into the night). So I started with a powerful reason, certainly knew my overall goal, but that accountability step had a huge impact.
I also did something else for the first few weeks (after the coffee drinking phase), something that seemed far sillier than your 5 steps. I’d read about affirmations, writing them 15 times. The goal: make sure the affirmation is about something so small that it is extremely do-able. My affirmation: I do 15 minutes of work on my thesis today. That affirmation had a do0able goal so small – 15 minutes – that the first couple of days, with procrastination in full force, I sat down and did my 15 minutes last thing at night. Within a couple of days, the 15 minutes had stretched to over an hour – I actually loved my thesis topic, and once working was gripped by it. Soon I was getting to it way earlier in the day. No more affirmations – no longer needed.
However, the checking in with the friend continued all the way through. It was both accountability and something else: it felt good to be sharing this with someone also in the same process, dealing with lots of similar stuff. So, an added benefit beyond accountability.
Elsa – great story illustrating a lot of the points. Small commitments, incremental improvement, and keyest of all – the accountability partner. Congratulations.
Sound advice Paul. No reason for others to make things so complicated when it’s bare bone essentials like these that really work.
Another one “hit out of the park” Paul! Great stuff. This is all very simple stuff, but not always easy. In my experience… the accountability partner is one of the most missed steps and one of the the most important.
What i would add to that is make sure your accountability partner has some leverage on you, some one that you don’t want to go to and say” I didn’t accomplish what I said I would” to.
Thanks Dude,
John Jaworski
Great point. If you’re accountability partner is a wimp, it may be worse than no partner at all. Enroll someone who can really make you feel, well… accountable. Someone to whom, when you say “You can count on me,” they take you seriously. And vice versa.
Like sports teams at the start of each season… it’s review and get good at the basics. Thanks for reminding us of the basics here Paul.
One very effective strategy to use with your accountability partner is to use some form of LEVERAGE. Create some pain for yourself IF you don’t follow through on your commitment and let your accountability partner benefit from it. This effectively motivates both you to get er done and your accountability partner to hold your feet to the fire on your commitment(s).
For example “If I don’t XYZ this week, or spend a minimum of 1hrs on XYZ by Friday I will pay you $50.” By putting some “skin in the game” you’ll end up doing things you normally would not do otherwise – which WILL move you forward.
Best,
Mark Benda
All of this presupposes that you can get them to make the list. 🙂 Great advice, thought!
You’ve got to start with the frackin’ list. And I can attest to how hard that may sometimes. But yes, that’s where you’ve got to start.
I’m at it again Paul . . . another mind-map to contribute to the cause. No registration required for access either.
http://ListSamurai.com/lemberg-mmap.html
Roger
Roger,
Can you make a mind map of the presentation Paul just did? I love anything written because I can review them more quickly.
Paul,
Can you make written summaries of your ideas somewhere on this blog? It really helps to integrate the ideas when I can see them all written.
Rodney
PS Thanks for the ideas above Paul. I’m already putting them into practice.
He already did. It’s further up in the comments. -pl