This month, we’re talking about community here on my blog. It actually ended up more of a journal-reflection type series than informational or practical. My hope is that you will find some of the reflection questions at the end of the post helpful. This post will focus on my new group – The Accountability Community.
How it started
It all started with Hello Mornings (affiliate link). There was a call out for “accountability captains”. I love the behind-the-scenes work of making something happen. This means that I’m not usually the first to volunteer for these positions until I need to or feel called to. (Apparently, I’ve been needed and/or have felt called many a times! 😛) I took the leap to lead a group. BUT I found out I would be leading a group in Central timezone AND all the ladies had goals of waking up early. I didn’t feel qualified. I was already automatically starting my day 2 hours behind them. Spoiler alert: Hello Mornings isn’t actually about waking up early. 😉 (If you’d like to know more, ask me about it.)
Oftentimes when I am in a lead position, I have been able to keep making progress. While there is grace, it helps to be accountable when others are following your lead. This has proved to be true so many times. Whether it’s being a part of a fitness group, a Bible study, a book club, or coordinating a wedding, being accountable to the tasks, projects, goals before me in a community setting helps me to make progress than if I was in it on my own.
How it’s going
There are so many online accountability groups out there for anything. The ones I have found (both free and paid) are so big. It always seems like the same dozens of folks are the ones who posts and share. There are a few handful of others who also participated from time to time. But if someone doesn’t complete a task or doesn’t show up for awhile, no one would notice.
It has been a long time since I’ve found an in-person/in-real life accountability group, especially one with people who either have similar goals as me or are in the same accountability mindset. No one wants to ask hard question and no one wants to be asked hard questions. So it seemed like accountability groups are too flexible and accountability coaches are too expensive. The sweet spot would be an accountability community. We haven’t finished the month yet, so I’m still testing out what works, what doesn’t work, and what needs to be improved.
Photo by Content Pixie
The Humans of Accountability Communities
Other Hello Mornings groups I’ve led have been with in-real life people I know in town and other groups that were a hybrid of ladies from across the country and in-real life folks. I’ve taken part in various decluttering/organizing groups. Like I mentioned before, Bible studies and book clubs are a kind of accountability for me. Also, I’ve been in a business/entrepreneur mastermind before, as well as online media groups going through a course or challenge. My favorite is one where everyone nerds out on planners and planning. The community I need most is in the area of movement. I’m so glad to have our Hello Mornings Run the Year 2022 team this year. I definitely would not have kept going each day without my team.
Resources
These are some of my go-to goal-setting/productivity resources.
- Focus on This Podcast – “The Most Productive Podcast on the Internet to help you Banish Distractions, Tame Your To-Do List, and Achieve Big Goals.”
- Hello Mornings (affiliate link) – “Join a community of women building purposeful morning rhythms.” Daily Morning Guide, Jumpstart Boot Camp, In-Depth Bible Studies, Challenge Kits, Music Motivation of curated playlists, Printables, Coworking Session, Workshops, and more!
- Trello – “Trello is the flexible work management tool where teams can ideate plans, collaborate on projects, organize workflows, and track progress in a visual, productive, and rewarding way.”
- Magnetic Dry Erase Board, 36 X 24 Inches | Small WhiteBoard with Stand 10″ X 10″ (affiiate links) – We like to write out meetings, activities, meals, and other notable items on a board for everyone to see.
- Google Calendar – Everything goes on the calendar and is shared so we don’t miss anything activities that are planned in advance and so we don’t have any scheduling conflicts.
- Full Focus Planner (affiliate link) – “Built from the latest science in productivity and goal-setting, The Full Focus Planner helps you prioritize and achieve your goals. With a simple three-step system, you can connect your big annual goals to your daily action so you’re always making progress.”
- Joyce Moy – The Accountability Community – That’s me! If you have tried other groups before but you need more direct accountability and encouragement, that’s where I come in!
Do you have a community that helps you work on or grow in an area of your life where you need others to encourage and inspired you? How did you find this community? If you don’t have a community like this, have you considered starting one for that hobby or goal?
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