Accountability and Inspiration Can Help You Reach Your Goals

You’ve come up with your goals or New Year Resolutions, but now what? How do you keep yourself motivated to reach your goals? So often, you set out to accomplish something in your life, only to end up failing. That failure causes you to lose confidence, feel like you’re not enough, and stop working towards your goals and resolutions. In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about how accountability and inspiration can help you with your goals and resolutions.

It’s no one else’s job to help you reach your goals. So, if that’s the case, then how will you get there? Many people talk about needing accountability to be successful, but is accountability really what you’re looking for? In some instances, yes, accountability is what motivates you. But, most often, what people are looking for are things that will inspire them and remind them to show up and do what they set out to do. 

The Difference Between Accountability and Inspiration

Being held accountable for your actions is not the same as feeling inspired by others to push forward to reach your goals. 

Accountability is something that results in a consequence when you don’t do what you said you’d do. For example, if you fail to show up to work enough times, you’ll lose your job. Your employer is holding you accountable to show up at the times you are scheduled. 

Inspiration is different than that. These are situations and things that keep you moving forward on your goal, but won’t necessarily end in consequence. Hearing someone’s story about how they persevered and lost the weight, or made the sale, or got the job.

Forms of Accountability

Like we said, accountability is when there is an expectation you need to meet and when you don’t…someone or something will hold you accountable through consequences. 

Here are a few examples of that:

1. Responsibilities

We all have responsibilities to things in our life. Whether this is your children or spouse, boss, clients, bills, etc.; when those responsibilities are not met, you can be met with accountability. 

Deadlines

Whether you have been given a deadline or create your own deadline, this is a form of accountability. For example, if you owe a bill on a certain day of the month and you don’t pay on time, you may be fined or lose service, etc. 

On the other hand, maybe you told someone you’d accomplish something by a certain day and if you don’t, then you stand to lose the job. When you tell someone you’ll do something by a certain day and fail, they have the right to walk away from using your services. 

People

Like we mentioned, your spouse and children are people that you are responsible to. If you neglect your relationships with them, it can create major consequences. 

Forms of Inspiration

Most people are looking for forms of inspiration to help them reach their goals. If your goals are not a matter of right and wrong, then inspiration is really what you’re looking for. Here are a few ways that can inspire you to keep pushing forward. 

1. Challenges

Whether you run the challenge or join one, this is a form of inspiration. You’re embarking on this challenge with other people and they will be doing it with you. There is a sense of comradery that is built, as well as a level of responsibility to others. They expect you to show up for them and you don’t want to let them down. 

2. Rewards

Setting up rewards can be a good way to motivate yourself to reach your goal. Your goal may have a built-in reward, like higher pay or a healthier life. But you can also build in artificial rewards along the way. I’ve seen a college student who had a piece of candy in their textbook every 20 pages or so. Some people make the rewards simultaneous with the habit, like only watching Netflix while on the treadmill.

3. Groups

Austin has found a lot of motivation and inspiration in online communities, particularly Facebook groups. Website developer groups, podcast groups, geeky dad groups – all of these are active communities where I get to see other people excelling at the things I want to excel at. 

4. Digital Nudges

I am a sucker for a productivity app. If it weren’t for Google reminders and calendar alerts, I wouldn’t get very many things done. Keelie has a Bible app that reminds her to read her daily passage each day and keep up the streak.

A combination of digital nudges and rewards is the badge or achievement. So many apps utilize badges and achievements to keep you hooked. Use that to your advantage! 

5. Team or Partner

Having a team of people or a partner that you are working with, can be an inspiration to you to keep going. This is one of the reasons that cross-fit is successful. You are joining a team and you want to show up from week to week to help each other out. 

Maybe you have another person in your life that become a partner to help you reach your goals. For example, maybe you’re trying to grow your independent businesses, but you’re relying on each other to help you achieve that. Creating a partnership or joining a team can inspire you to push forward on your goals when you want to quit, because there are other people that are relying on you. This is different than having the level of responsibility you have to your children or your spouse. But, it is a great motivating factor for many peoplamae. 

Closing

If you’re looking for a team to help motivate you and reach your goals, R5 Website Management is here to help! We have a team of writers, developers, and virtual assistants that can help you reach your next goal.

Email us at [email protected] to get started today!

Until next week, get out there and start breaking the mental chains that are keeping you from producing!