Finding the Right Voice to Propel You Forward
“Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.”
– George Washington Carver
When most of us decide to change our ways to have more success, we stick with the plan for a few days or weeks before reverting back to our old routines. Our inner voice tells us it’s safer to stick with what we know and makes us afraid to reach out more boldly for what we want. That tiny saboteur can do a lot of damage.
What if you replaced it with someone who believes in you? A real person can become your accountability partner to keep you on track towards your goal.
A human cheerleader is always better than a nagging saboteur.
If you have told someone that you’ve committed to a new regimen, it’s far more likely that you will continue on that path. (That’s one of the secrets for success for Weight Watchers, Noom and other food-related programs, by the way.) Have you ever joined a gym – paid the monthly fee and never showed up? I have. It was only once I had a friend who confirmed a rendez vous time did I show up consistently for my morning exercise routine.
Without accountability, we are left with no will to act or meaningful measure of our actions and their effects on our progress. It’s one thing to tell yourself you’re going to try something new for growth’s sake (say, starting a habit of daily exercise routine). How will you measure the results in the absence of an accountability partner? This person provides a framework for:
- creating a plan;
- working the plan; and
- reporting on your progress.
How will you know what’s helping and what’s not? How will you know when, where and how to pivot to another approach, especially when your inner saboteur is so happy to tell you that you’ll never, ever make it?
I realized that if I was ever going to be strong enough to ward off my pesky and persistent saboteur, I was going to need someone beside me to hold me accountable for heeding that nagging voice. Instinctively, I knew to achieve the results I wanted now; I couldn’t do it alone.
It was then that I turned to my first coach for assistance. Spoiler alert: It was the best decision ever!
Once I had my accountability partner, there was no stopping or looking back. The only direction was forward. As a coach of mine used to say, “The way to what you want is not over, under or around—it’s going through.”
From then on, my self-discovery process moved much quicker and the answers came to me with less stress and strain. It was great having someone hold me accountable for my actions because actions matter. It’s not enough to want to break a harmful, hurtful habit or remove a limiting belief. We have to want it and we have to act on it.
Acting is hard when the saboteur has made us doubtful of our abilities and when our perspective has become cloudy. My coaches have helped me keep the saboteur at bay. Their positive reinforcement gave me the confidence to go forward with courage.
The accountability continued throughout my learning and certification process with a variety of different coaches who kept me on track. All of my schooling constantly kept me being mentored. This enlightened discovery happened because I had the courage to connect with an accountability partner.
Today, I am a trusted Family Advisor, holding family clients accountable to having intentional conversations. I am a coach helping other people rediscover their authenticity. Being accountable together on this shared journey to our deeper selves!
I would love for you to find joy in whatever role you are pursuing as well. It may be close to what you are doing or a complete 180-degree turn. If you are ready to move forward and have someone to hold you to it, a coach can fill that role. Let’s work through it together.