Accountability/Ten Steps to reach ANY goal - part 4

Accountability - Day 4

https://www.success.com/10-steps-to-achieve-any-goal/

TEN STEPS to Reach ANY Goal - finished today!!!

-7 Ask for feedback!!

The article states:

“Soliciting advice and criticism from others creates accountability.

“For this to work, you will need to convince the mentor, friend, colleague, or significant other whom you’re appealing to that you want to know what he really thinks. The evaluator needs to know that he won’t suffer any blowback if he is totally honest. Feedback is key to overcoming blind spots and achieving better results.”

Let’s see, you are really committed to what you are doing.  You are not letting circumstances through you off track.  But, feedback can be tough - and can be so, so helpful!!!  

I was learning crocheting.  There was a group at the library that knit - and some also crocheted.  I took a piece I was working on that was pretty awful - and the coordinator pulled at one end and unraveled the WHOLE piece.  She was doing it in a nice way (and she had been nice prior to this).  

She commented before she unraveled it, “Karen do you see these rows?  Did you count the number of stitches in them?  Now, look at this row”  she stopped and pointed at it.  “Do you see when you missed a whole stitch?” (I did).  “Look at this row compared to that row.  You must have held your crochet needle differently - because the stitches in the first row are wide and sloppy and, the second row, the stitches are very tight, maybe too tight, but even.”

She gently, but firmly showed me many mistakes in my work - dropped stitches here - long rows and short rows.  She knew I was a “newbie” - but if I was going to be able to share my coasters and potholders with my friends, I needed to be consistent.  

I talk of coaching - what is coaching?  In the athletic world, it is helping an athlete see something he or she could improve on.  In football, after a game, a coach will show a video of the game and comment on the flaws that could be corrected and tightened.

In teaching, we use this phrase:  “Move from the sage on the stage, to the guide, standing beside”.  Guide - direct - give feedback.

Whatever we do, having an accountability partner, coach, mentor, teacher - who cares enough (and is confident enough) to point out some things we can improve on is vital to getting better!!

-8 Ask yourself - “Am I a renter or an owner?”

This is basically asking you - are you committed?  I am currently renting an apartment.  I don’t mow the lawn, I don’t fix or repair anything, I live here.  Sure, I take care of my place - but it isn’t MINE.  Prior to twenty-months ago, I was a homeowner.  I mowed the grass, we kept the house painted, we repaired the fence.  A house is an investment!!  Am I vested in my goals?  Am I committed?

-9 Are you prepared to move a lot of dirt?

Sometimes to reach a goal, it can take years.  An acquaintance made an effort to climb the highest peak on each continent.  It has been several years since we’ve run into each other - but at that point, he had climbed the highest peak on each continent - except Mt. Everest.  

Climbing mountains takes planning.  This acquaintance talked of climbing Denali - formerly Mt. McKinley.  You need a team, you need guides, you need equipment, you need food distributed to you at the various points on the mountain.  You need to watch the weather.  It just takes a lot of WORK.  For me to achieve the goal of walking four miles means just doing it.  But, if I was going to walk a marathon, it would take planning and a lot of work!!!

And, finally #10

MAKE IT HAPPEN

There isn’t an “Easy Button” to accomplish BHAG (big hairy audacious goals).  If it was easy, everybody would do it.  

The last sentences in the article says it all,

“You have the choice to fulfill your aspirations or wallow in the blame game and victim cycle.

True success doesn’t come from the outside but from within. There is no wizard. Taking greater personal accountability is the key to succeeding in everything you do.

What do you want to be able to tell your grandchildren (and great-grandchildren)?  That you reached for the stars and made it?  That you reached for the stars and accomplished most of it?  That you thought about reaching for the stars - and then plopped back on the sofa and said “It’s not worth it?”

Hugs!!!

Karen