I really and truly believe that accountability is the root of productivity. Productivity often gets mistaken for the golden goal, but accountability paves the way for productivity.
To accomplish real and lasting change, I've found the recipe to be as follows.
I’ve also found that each phase is most impactful when it has an entire year allocated to it. That could look different for everyone and need not be a rigid rule.
The secret sauce lies in the alignment of goal and action.
Adhering to the accountability roadmap we build for ourselves means scrutinizing both; looking for the contrast of what we actually want and the congruence between our actions and our goals.
Establishing a baseline is crucial.
Phase one is all about adapting to a new fish tank. Creating consistency helps to get settled and acclimatized. "Stay in your lane", as it were.
This is where you learn what habits earn a spot on your daily list, the time of day that works best for you to complete them etc…
That which gets measured can be improved.
There's plenty of discrepancy with that sentiment, and yet I find a lot of value in spotting deviations in trending patterns. The consistency created in year one turns into stability. By now, there's an understanding of what works and what doesn't. Making and sticking to any needed changes is helpful to refine a successful system.
I’ve found it works best to add new items to the list one by one, so as to see the direct impact and results.
Reach and refine.
Striving for consistency creates accountability, and adherence to accountability creates stability. Skills get honed and cultivated through this process.
The machine works by now. It’s time to see what it’s capable of.
I often remind myself that balance is a verb. As with anything in life, take everything in moderation – including moderation. We’re not perfect and trying to be a robot is a surefire way to malfunction.
Grace, Pace, and Space serve me well. Some is better than none and done is better than perfect. When I’d miss a day (or multiple), I’d tell myself “we’ll try again tomorrow”. Productivity is a measure of accountability. Productivity is not the goal, accountability is.
You become accountable to that which you tether yourself to. Choose your tethers wisely.
Less is more.