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When you are out doing big things in life, it is important to hold yourself accountable.
Why is this so important?
Well, accountability will help keep you going when you are lacking motivation, when you are tired, and when you want to give up.
The truth is, we all have off days.
Sometimes we wake up on the wrong side of the bed and just truly do NOT want to do anything except watch reruns of our favorite show on Netflix and order pizza.
On those off days, we need that extra push.
It is important to have a strong ‘why’ to keep you motivated, but accountability is that extra push that is so necessary for success.
It is the safety net that prevents you from falling off course and having to start again at square one.
Accountability can come from someone else, but did you know it can also come from yourself?
It is time to become your own biggest cheerleader.
Ways You Can Hold Yourself Accountable
1. Create a daily to-do list
I’m not talking about a to-do list that has 100+ items on it.
I am talking about a simple to-do list with things that you know you can accomplish in the day.
A good rule of thumb is trying to stick to three main things you’d like to accomplish each day.
Within those three items, break each one down into simple, digestible steps.
This to-do list will prevent you from falling off track during the day.
If you find yourself wandering off to other things, bring yourself back to this list.
This also guarantees at the end of the day, you know you will have accomplished at least three things.
2. Set deadlines for yourself—short term, monthly, and long term
My best secret for the best procrastinators?
Always make these deadlines a bit sooner than the actual deadline for the task or project.
This “fake” deadline serves as a bit of a buffer in case something else pops up or things take longer than anticipated.
These deadlines will provide a sense of urgency and will motivate you to get things done.
Not only that, but they will make it easier for you to plan out your daily and weekly schedules.
3. At each checkpoint, write out how you will celebrate the milestone
Creating a reward system is a powerful way to motivate you.
If you celebrate each step along the way, you not only gain the satisfaction of actually doing the thing, but you also get whatever reward you set in place!
Maybe you treat yourself to your favorite restaurant, go get a manicure, or, for those bigger milestones, perhaps you go on your dream vacation!
Tie a reward to every single milestone, and be sure to really celebrate each win.
Take time to be proud of yourself, no matter how small the milestone seems.
4. Lean on a friend
Yes, this post is about how you can hold yourself accountable.
However, that does not mean you cannot utilize your support system in order to do so!
Part of holding yourself accountable is knowing when you need to ask for help from others.
Text a friend and tell them you are working on XX task for the next XX amount of time.
Tell them if they do not hear from you saying you completed the task within the timeframe, then please check in on you.
The friend doesn’t actually have to do much work to hold you accountable, but bringing someone else into the equation will motivate you to stay focused.
Related Reads:
- 5 Ways to Stay Focused on Your Goals
- Batching Ideas for Productivity and Getting More Done Efficiently
- How to Recognize and Stop Self-Sabotaging Yourself
- 10 Attitudes That Are Holding You Back in Your Business
5. Set timers for specific tasks, and try to beat the timer every time you sit down to work
Timers are also another great way to create a sense of urgency.
Do not tie your worth to the timer and beat yourself up if you go over time, but use it as a resource.
This is especially useful if you consider yourself a competitive person, and you can treat it like a game.
Setting a timer will help you stay on track, and it is a helpful way to plan out how you will spend your day.
When the timer goes off, be sure to take a break!
6. Turn off all notifications on your laptop, and place your phone in another room
One way to hold yourself accountable is to limit your distractions in order to set yourself up for productivity.
How can you do your best work if you know notifications will constantly be popping up on your computer or you will be switching between work and texting every few minutes?
That sounds very distracting, and it surely is not the best way to get in the work zone.
Hold yourself accountable by limiting distractions and only focusing on the task at hand.
7. Do not allow yourself to proceed with the next task until the first one is complete
I know I know, if you consider yourself a pro-multi-tasker, this one can be tough. It’s exciting when you are flipping back and forth between tasks and have a million tabs up on your computer, right?
Well, maybe, but that is not the way to maximize productivity.
Do not flip between tasks—instead, complete one task, and then move on.
This will allow you to actually finish tasks instead of halfway starting all of them.
8. Keep a visual reminder of what your end goals are
Vision boards are powerful!!
If you have a vision board, then I applaud you for your creativity and dedication to manifesting your goals.
If you do not have a vision board, this visual reminder can be quite simple.
It can be a printed picture of your dream home or the place you would love to vacation.
Maybe it is a quote that perfectly describes how you would like your future to be.
Keep this reminder on your desk, on your fridge, or wherever you will be able to see it often.
This will keep you focused on what the end goal really is.
Final Thoughts
I hope you can now see that you can hold yourself accountable just as much, if not more than someone else can.
These are powerful ways that you can ditch the excuses, lean into your hard work, and crush your goals.
Implement some of these ways to hold yourself accountable, and watch your results and productivity soar!
Michelle Gagliani
Owner & Founder
Michelle is the Founder of The Balanced CEO and a Holistic Nutritionist + Health Coach. She was born and raised in St.Thomas, U.S.V.I., and is currently living in Austin, TX. When she’s not running this blog and online business, she is cozied up at home watching TV, taking long walks in nature, or trying out new healthy recipes.
Great tips for staying accountable. I often struggle with this so thank you for sharing.
Thank you for reading Melissa!
Thanks for the reminder about timers. I have used the Pomodoro Technique in the past to great effect. Also, I block out distractions on the computer and turn off my phone, as needed. Have you tried increasing the tab on your browser to full-screen? This helps me to remove visual distractions from other tabs, etc. This post is helpful–thanks!
Hey Amy! I have actually never tried that but need to. Thank you for the suggestion!
This is a really great post. I like the way you spaced out your message. Having little chunks of advice as you made your way down the page made it super digestible. I am super guilty of starting a million things and then never finishing one – so that section was super pertinent to me personally. Really like everything about your blog.
Thank you so much Anya! You made my day with your kind words! 😊❤️
Love the long term goal reccomendation. It is definitely easy to get caught up in the day-to-day so it’s nice to set long-term goals to focus on!
Yes! Definitely! It has helped me a lot lately. Thanks for reading Kennedy! 😊
Great advice! I’ve always been self-motivated, but I struggle with having way too much on my to-do list than is actually feasible, which leaves me feeling stressed and frustrated. It also makes it harder for me to celebrate the wins because I’m thinking about all there is still to do! Sticking to three main things is a really good idea, and I think that will be really helpful for me to implement. Thank you!
Hey Rebecca! I know how that is, I can get like that too sometimes. 3 main things is so so helpful and will make you feel accomplished, less stressed, and motivated.
I really enjoyed reading your piece because I am a procrastinator. Your tips resonated with me. I have done the to do list, and when I stick to the list, it works! With your words, I feel vindicated to continue with all your tips. I have a few dreams I want to fulfill. Lately I realize that I must do more…if i want to achieve my goals.
Thank you for sharing thoughts.
And thank you also for sharing your thoughts Emily! I am rooting for you, you got this! ❤️
Another great post. Thanks for these reminders….so important in many aspects of life but especially in business.
Thank you, Beth! You are the best!
Great ideas! It’s sometimes hard to hold ourselves accountable when we have many things going on. Thanks for your tips 🙂
Thanks for reading Lisa!
I needed this post today. I am struggling to stay focused lately. I will try to beat the timer and celebrate milestones. Not beginning a task until the first one is finished is a tough one for me! Thank you.
I’m glad this post helped you Carrie! 😊