accountability partner Archives

EPISODE 122 – Accountability with Purpose

August 15, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2OQ7754Nhw[/embedyt]

“Maybe you’re not perfect, but you’re willing to actually look at yourself and take some kind of accountability. That’s a change. It might not mean that you can turn everything around, but I think there’s something incredibly hopeful about that.” Brie Larson

Let’s start by exploring what accountability means to you and why it is important. Accountability is about standing behind (or beside) the actions and decisions you make. Accountability is like a checklist to see if expectations have been met and who is responsible for what they said they were going to do. When people must claim responsibility for their actions, this is where you may see people start finger pointing, blaming or complaining about why they did not meet expectations. Funny thing is for the finger point outward, there are three fingers pointing back. Each person in a relationship or interaction can take 100% responsibility for their actions. It builds trust because you have faith that the other person is going to put in their 100% effort like you are. This type of commitment gets results. You will want to go back and listen to our first episode on Taking 100% Responsibility.

To be accountable, you must have a clear purpose or WHY for doing what you do, driven by a vision, mission, and core values. Your core values act like a compass directing you and keeping you on track to meet your goals.

Accountability serves a purpose. By being accountable for your actions, you will tend to pay more attention to whether you are taking the actions necessary to meet expectations. You will notice that your performance increases because you need to be accountable for your actions through reporting your outcomes or explaining the consequences of the results you achieved. You will start valuing your work more because it is your heart and soul or sweat and tears invested in the results. Goal setting and setting clear expectations are important in laying out a plan to be accountable with a purpose. When you have a goal in mind, you can set up accountability check points to ensure you are on the right track. Without a clear set goal, you lack direction of what you are working towards. Therefore, it is so important to ink your goals.

Let’s look at finances. If you do not have a financial goal of what you are aiming for, how will you know when you have met it? What are your expectations? What will you sacrifice short-term for long term success? When you are accountable for your finances, you give every dollar a job. You know what money coming in and what money is going out. You may call you credit card or internet company every 3-6 months to see if you can get a better rate. You can look at what is costing you the most money and learn where you can find cost savings. You can make better decisions knowing what your money can do for you.

Let’s take a look at professional development goals. What are areas you want to strengthen? Is there a book you want to read or a course you want to take? Consider working with a coach to keep you accountable and help you uncover where you may be sabotaging your efforts. Again, what gets measured gets managed so you will want to ink the goal.

Being accountable is NOT about pointing fingers or picking sides. It is about OWNING what you have control over and FINDING solutions to get the desired results. It is NOT about pretending to know everything or pretending to be something you are not. You need to be willing to admit when you do not know something BUT you can ask someone or put in the effort to figure it out. You need to drop the excuses and stop getting defensive when someone asks you to take responsibility for your actions.

Have you ever noticed that people get angry or defensive when they do not want to take responsibility for their actions? These people try to deflect responsibility and do not realize that they could be sabotaging their own success because of their lack of commitment. If you make a mistake, own it right away! People are more forgiving if you OWN your mistakes versus deny them. Everyone makes a mistake at one time or another.

Be accountable with purpose. Find an accountability partner – this can be a family member, colleague, or friend or hire a coach to hold you accountable. They can support you as being a cheerleader when things are going well and hold you accountable for when things are not going as planned or you fail to take the actions you said you would. When you start running your business, organization, and daily life with intention and deliberate purpose, you will get the results that you are seeking or something better!

What are you going to do to be accountable with purpose?

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. Book your complimentary Discovery Session by going to the Coach with Debra page on my website and send me your interest and we will set up a time and date to learn about how coaching can benefit you. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Episode 51: The Power of Personal Accountability

December 8, 2016 by Debra Kasowski 1 Comment

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“The victim mindset dilutes the human potential. By not accepting personal responsibility for our circumstances, we greatly reduce our power to change them.”
― Steve Maraboli

Personal accountability is about acting in alignment and doing what we say we’re going to do. It truly is about taking 100% responsibility for one’s own actions. By taking personal accountability, you are taking steps to improve yourself as a leader – a leader that people can know and like as well as trust. You can always recognize someone who is not accountable for their actions by listening to their language. People who are not accountable for their actions play the victim role. These are the people who tend to ignore or deny their involvement in the part of a situation. They tend to blame or complain about others as to why they’re not getting the results that they want. They explained all the reasons why they shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions or the results achieved. If you really want to get the results you say you want, your greatest success weapon is about becoming and accountable leader.

28869249_s Being accountable isn’t always easy. There’s increased responsibility and expectations on ourselves to achieve more. If you are consistent and work hard, you will often end up achieving more than you believe possible. The impossible became possible when people took the necessary actions steps consistently to get to where they want to go. Being accountable can position you to feel unstoppable. You will learn to trust yourself and your abilities for getting those results. The other day I briefly watched a segment of @garyvee (Gary Vaynerchuk) and he said that most people are walking around like they’re coming back. This struck a chord with me. It may be due to my nursing background and having held a baby after its first breath and also holding the hand of someone who is dying and takes their last. Life is too short to not put in 100% effort. People tend to be scared of that accountability factor maybe because they think someone’s checking up on them. The only person checking up on you is yourself and holding yourself to a higher standard.

When you hold yourself accountable, you realize that you need to start making decisions with intention. Every decision you make has an outcome. The results you see around you are based on the decisions you have made so far. If you don’t like what you see, you need to start making different choices. Your choices might include taking a course in gaining more knowledge, reaching out and asking for help, going to a networking event and building the relationships around you, and providing feedback to your team so they can improve. If you hold yourself back from being the best that you can be, you will fall short and may even fail just because you weren’t willing to take responsibility for the actions that you took.

Being a victim of your circumstances is a choice. You can choose to respond or you can choose to react to any situation. Those who play the victim are often reactive by placing blame and getting angry without doing any or self-reflection on their role in the situation. If you catch yourself going into the victim’s state, you can always stop and reframe the situation and choose to become more responsive. In the problem shows up, don’t ignore it and pretend it’s not there think about how you can solve it versus resist it. Is there a chance that you can make a mistake? Absolutely! Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, you do better.” You can always course correct do not let the fear of making a mistake holds you back from making potentially the greatest leap forward.

When you start owning your stuff by being accountable for your actions, you will be able to be successful in pushing through the challenges you face. When you don’t, you begin to resent others and people will have a hard time trusting you. You need to begin by taking charge of who you are and how you wish to show up. One of the things that I noticed is a leader is that often people do not realize that they have the power to be part of significant change because they have a choice to engage or not engage in their environment. Individuals need to realize how much power they actually have to get the results they envision. When they start sharing that vision with others, other people in the group may also offer ideas and solutions to make them become reality. The employee tends to be more engaged because they were part of the solution.

In order to be an accountable leader, you need to be open to a new perspective and challenge your own assumptions. When I teach emotional intelligence, it’s all about becoming self-aware and taking responsibility for our thoughts, feelings, and the actions we take. You need to be aware of self-limiting beliefs as well as your own flaws of perfectionism and even procrastination. These are forms of resistance in preventing you from being accountable for your actions. Perfection can delay results and procrastination may mean that you never get started.

As a coach, I have been able to recognize when someone is spiraling into a victim mentality. I always find it interesting that we can see the potential in others before we see the potential in ourselves. The individuals that I have coached are great leaders bursting out and stepping into their greatness. Some of the roadblocks that they face tend to be more internal than external. They have self-limiting beliefs and self-doubt about their ability to accomplish what they set their mind to. Asking for help is considered to be a strength and it helps you examine what needs to improve to get you to where you want to go. Your mindset is a key part of defining some of the actions that you’re going to take. If you don’t believe something is possible, you’re not going to take actions that organize support you and therefore not get the results that you want. If you don’t believe you deserve something, again you’ll find ways to self-sabotage getting the results that you want. Pay attention to what is going on in your mind because it impacting the actions you take.

You won’t be disappointed by taking accountability for your actions. You will gain respect and trust as being someone who walks their talk. You will start getting the results that you truly want instead of looking out toward for success on the outside you’ll realize that success begins with you. The richness of your life and your business or organization starts with you.

“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

Time: 11:08 min

Keywords: holding yourself accountable, accountability, accountable, podcast, being an accountable leader, taking responsibility, victim mentality, coaching, choice, decision making, accountability partner

EPISODE 20: Being Committed to the Plan

August 23, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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EPISODE 20 – Being Committed to the Plan

“There’s a difference between interest
and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it
only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you
accept no excuses – only results.”
―Kenneth H. Blanchard

It amazes me how many people don’t get past the decision that they know that they need to make a change. Some people are only interested in making a change but do not want to put together a plan of action to really make that change become reality. Commitment is the feeling of dedication and loyalty to a cause, activity, or job; to be wholeheartedly dedicated. Commitment is important in any form of success. You will want to ensure that you have listened to Episode 19-Be Willing to Sacrifice for Success.

How bad do you want what you say you want? Have you been talking about doing something or are you ready and committed to making a plan of action and to follow through?

Get Your Mind Right. First of all, you need to believe you can do it when you believe that you can accomplish something you will persevere when tough times come upon you.

Interest is talking about getting into shape; commitment is getting up and going to the gym regularly.

Interest is surfing the Internet or researching information about a topic; commitment is about creating content and publishing it.

Interest is buying a book on financial management; commitment is reviewing your numbers, tracking your spending, and implementing what you have read.

Have you noticed the difference between interest and commitment?

Interest is a passive activity; whereas, commitment is active.

47421557_s Commitment is about taking action and getting results.

We can slip into the habit of interest very easily. If we look at the different areas of our lives, we might notice that some areas were more committed at certain times than we are at others.

I was taken back recently as I was sharing many of the accomplishments and the growth of the podcast with a friend. She knows that I’m a big dreamer and I would like to accomplish so many more things.

And then she posed the question, “Why are you stalling?” “Why are you holding yourself back?”

She caught me off guard but at the same time, I had a moment of clarity.

“Why wasn’t I taking the actions steps I knew I needed to do?”

I told myself that I have competing priorities. I had to remind myself where my greatest return on investment would be. If there is one thing I could be doing right now that would make the biggest difference, why wasn’t I doing it?

I had no excuse. I knew what I needed to do.

I came home that evening and completed the paperwork that I needed to do to put the closure of something I had been delaying and to move forward direction. I contracted a freelancer to do some graphic design work for my speaker one sheet that I kept telling myself I had to edit. I stayed up till 3 AM because when you that I needed to get this done once and for all.

No excuses! I made it a priority. I texted my friend and her with a response was awesome! It is interesting to me how others can see which you need to do but sometimes when you’re so close to what your goal is for whatever reason you fail to see it. That is why it is important to surround yourself with people who support you and want to help you achieve your goals. When I was sharing this story with a mutual friend, she stated the same thing which reinforced to me that these new actions needed to be taken.

My next question was: Do I truly believe the thoughts I have been having?

No…so why should I hang on to the belief? Do what you need to do and see what happens? The “yes” you have been waiting for could be closer than you think.

Sometimes we think that we need to be at a certain level of knowledge, fitness, or finances to be credible or believe that others will value what we have to say. You already know enough, you are perfect the way you are, and rich or poor no one can define your worth but you. Let others hear your voice and step up to the table. Share your ideas and go after your dreams, you never know whose life will change when you follow through on doing what you need to do.

Rise Up. People who rise up are the most committed. You will need to be dedicated to doing the work even when you don’t feel like it. A friend of mine recently returned from some naval training, he posted a picture of his troop doing push-ups in the rain and mud.

Permission Granted from Steve Welton Facebook

The picture was worth 1000 words when it comes to commitment. I’m sure many of us might say, “You know what? We can do those inside.” These individuals defined commitment- rain or shine they got it done. This is what we need to do -it is to know that each day we need to do what we say we need to do in order to get closer to our goals. Sometimes what happens is when you skip one day it is too easy to skip the next day? You need to build habits that when you don’t feel like it, you take some sort of action to keep the momentum going. When you face uncertainty, you need to continue taking action. Your action may be gaining knowledge by doing research or asking a mentor. No matter what that is you are still taking action – step into it!

Make a Plan. Don’t hold anything back. Make a plan and be very clear as to what that will look like. Set goals and break down those goals into smaller manageable pieces. These are the actions steps that you need to take to help get you closer to where you want to be. Plans can change as you go. It is about progress, not perfection.

Maintain Your Focus. Focus on what’s most important to you. Learn what your values are. Set your priorities. When you align your decisions with your values setting priorities becomes easy. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Remember they are on their own path reaching their own goals. Your goal may not be the same as the goal that they set for themselves so focus on what you need to do. People who are able to define what’s important to them can be intrinsically motivated to go after their goals. Others do not mean to nag or prod them to go after what they say is important to them they do it because they want to get the results.

Set Up Accountability. Track goals, put a stake in the ground and tell people what you’re and planning to do, or hire a coach or invest in an accountability partner. Setting up accountability will keep you on track and committed because you have to answer to yourself or someone else.

Create a No Excuse Zone. A person who is committed to their plan doesn’t make excuses they go and make things right. This is when you see ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It is all because of their level of commitment.

Make Quitting Not an Option. A person can only quit when they decide that the goal is no longer important to them and that they are no longer intrinsically motivated to obtain that goal. There will be times when you will feel like you’re tested and you come so close to achieving your goal and you may have a setback. This setback is not the time to quit it is a test to challenge you and help you push further out of your comfort zone. You will figure it out allow yourself time to be in the space of growth.

I watched a Big Think Video narrated by Jesse Itzler. He mentioned that he met a Navy Seal at a race and decided to cold call him to see if he would come and live with his family for a month. He figured he could learn a thing or two from him. The video is about the Navy Seal 40% Rule. When we feel that we are done, we have only utilized 40% of what we have in our tanks. We do not utilize our full capacity – there is so much more in us to give.

An article in Inc magazine stated, “For the SEAL, though, it’s about realizing where your comfort level is and completely ignoring it. Sometimes it truly is hard to know whether something is worth doing.” Are you going to do what is easy or are you going to do what you need to do because it will be worth it?”

I want to leave you with a quote:

“If you had started doing anything two weeks ago, by today you would have been two weeks better at it.” ― John Mayer

You are enough! Be committed to the plan and make what you want to happen! No stalling! No holding yourself back – go get it!

Time: 16.22 min

7 Secrets to Staying Motivated to Reach Your Goals

June 18, 2014 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Staying motivated can be tough. For some, the idea of setting goals can be simply overwhelming. The extra demand that would put them over the edge. Achieving your goals does not have to be a daunting task and it should not be.

Courtesy of Stuart Miles/freedigitalphotos.net

There are challenges that arise. The challenges should not stop you as the sweetness of success alone should propel you. Think about what is really stopping you: not getting enough sleep, the belief that you need to look and talk a certain way, or even the money in your bank account. Look around you – there are people sleeping more or less hours than you and achieving goals. There are people of all shapes and sizes creating the life of their dreams. There are people with more or even less money than you but they are unstoppable. What is your excuse for not rising to the challenge?

The secrets are out! The solution is a lot easier than you think.

Here is what you can to to stay motivated:

1. Make IT a game- FUN! Bust out of the routines. Break patterns of boredom. Create strategies or even make a game board so you can have a visual representation of your goal or journey. Make it real! Consider blogging about your journey or sharing it on social media platforms.

2. Create a compelling reward. What would make the challenge worth your while. Is a day at the spa or a day of golfing and dinner at the clubhouse? What would it be for you?

3. Celebrate the”small” successes. As you acknowledge all the small tasks or steps you are taking you create a momentum to fuel you through any challenges.

4. Take at least one action step every day. When you know you are taking action every day you know that in one month you have taken 30 action steps toward your goals. You may have even gotten excited and accomplished more. Do you think you could take one action every day? They do not have to be monumental steps or huge leaps of faith (they can but do not have to) to make an impact. Imagine what could be accomplished in the here and now!

5. Ink your goals. Write them down on a 3 x 5 business card and keep them in your sight to remind you of what you want to accomplish. This action will help you keep focused and can be used as a tool to make decisions based on your priorities.

6. Find an accountability partner. Achieving your goals can even be more fun when you are helping someone reach their goals at the same time you are striving to meet yours. They can call you on your excuses and challenge you to step up to the plate and push through your fears. They can be there when you need someone just to listen to you as your mindset plays tricks on you (and we know it will).

7. Be aware of your emotions. Do not let how you feel hold you back from the action you know you must take. Sometimes you need to do the things you need to do even when you do not want to. Think about the trash in your home. You may not want to take out the trash but if you did not…what would happen over several weeks? I do not recommend you experiment with this. The point being – you need to do what must be done even when you so not necessarily feel like it.

Motivation is the key to pushing through to success. It helps you challenge assumptions and dispel any myths you may have been telling yourself. The journey itself is where the greatest excitement occurs. When focusing on accomplishing your goals, reaching the destination just seals the deal! Whatever you do – do not quit!

What do you do to stay motivated when trying to reach your goals? I would love to hear what you do! Share this post with others.