Step 2: Choose Your Accountability Method

Now, the second goal of the Connection stage is to help you find the right accountability model for you.

You’ve already learned about the importance of community for feedback and direction. This step is about harnessing the power of community for accountability and motivation so you can make progress on your business every single week.

So many of us independent entrepreneurs deal with other commitments like day jobs, families, multiple projects and more. That means motivation and productivity — two critical elements in getting your business off the ground — are especially hard for us.

Implementing a system to hold you accountable helps anticipate the plain fact that life will interrupt your best laid plans at one point or another, making it all too easy to say, “maybe next week”.

Accountability

For many of us “accountability” can be another four-letter-word, making us cringe at the idea of drill sergeants and punishment. But here at Fizzle we view accountability very differently. Think of it more as that workout buddy and less as the drill sergeant.

If you’ve ever wanted to run 5km, you’ve likely heard about the power of finding a workout buddy. For many people having a like-minded partner counting on them to show up at the gym prevents them from making a different decision, such as opting for an evening in front of the television.

Research finds a positive correlation between results and social accountability. Building a successful business might be one of the hardest, most rewarding things you do in your life, so let’s fold in some social accountability to get to more positive results!

Actions Explained

By the end of this stage you should evaluate and select at least one method for holding yourself accountable. Once you’ve identified the model that feels most fitting for you it’s time to take action and get started, whether that means starting up a progress log or seeking out members for your brand new mastermind group.

There are three actions for this step. Let’s walk through each one.

1. Start a progress log

It’s hard to miss the progress log section in the Fizzle forums because this is where Fizzlers are showing up every single week to set goals for themselves. At the end of the week, they check back in and record how it went.

There’s power in keeping track of your short term goals, some more power in recording whether you did them or not, and even more power in sharing your goals with a group of people you trust. The results speak for themselves. Some of the most successful Fizzlers use progress logs regularly.

And, as an added bonus, it’s incredibly rewarding to get to look back at your journey of accomplishments after some time has passed. It’s like a scrapbook of your business!

Action: if this is the right accountability method for you, start a progress log.

2. Join a mastermind group

We’re huge fans of mastermind groups here at Fizzle because they combine accountability, friendship and feedback to create powerful mini-communities.

Simply put, a mastermind group is a curated collection of 4-8 people who meet on a regular basis. Typically each member of the group has the opportunity to share what they are working on, where they are stuck, whether they met their previously set goals and what their next goals are. The group offers guidance and fresh perspective, which leaves many entrepreneurs feeling like they’ve received personalized coaching.

Action: if this is the right accountability method for you, start or join a mastermind group.

More info: How a Mastermind Group Will Help You Reach Your Goals.

3. Attend an in-person meetup

Whether it’s at the coffee shop in your neighborhood or out of town at a conference, connecting with fellow entrepreneurs in person is another great way to find a network to hold you accountable.

Forging new friendships with “real” people may very well inspire you, taking you deeper into your commitment to your business.

Action: if this is the right accountability method for you, attend an in-person meetup.

Accountability Time

We’ve introduced you to 3 accountability methods: keep a progress log, join a mastermind group and attend an in-person meetup. We recommend you try each one. However, the necessary thing right now is for you to pick one accountability method to start and maintain.

When you’ve both picked and started the accountability method you’ll use, please mark this step as complete and, when you’re ready, we’ll move on to the final step in this stage.