Don’t Be Afraid, Be Accountable

New Downloads Available (Nov 23, 2017)
Goodbye Comfort Zone – Hello Internet!

Am I afraid of commitment or am I just a poser?

On the surface, I’d like to think that I’m not afraid of commitment.  I can point to many examples of my own long-term commitments (my marriage, where I live and where I work, to name a few).  However, peel back the onion and it’s not that simple a question.  You see, I value my reputation of being someone whose word means something, who can be counted on, who does what he says he will do.  And that means I have to be very careful what I say and what I commit to, lest I be branded a hypocrite or a flake.

One of the best ways to stick with something is to be held accountable for your actions and results.  This is typically not fun.  Whatever it is you’re trying to do, there will be times when you feel like giving up, slacking on the couch, or falling back into that bad habit*.  But when we know in advance that we will be held accountable, we sometimes manage to convince ourselves that the future wrath is worse than the annoyance of just doing it properly right now.  (Sometimes this still fails, though!)

Which brings me to the point of today’s post: I am going to be accountable and publicly announce my commitments for this blog, starting right now.

I Promise:

  1. To post at least once each week (Thursdays for now)
  2. To respond to every comment thread and every email (except spam, of course)
  3. That my work will be high quality and not simply slapped together
  4. To not hide behind the mask of anonymity

There!  Done.  But there’s a bit of insight behind why and how I selected these commitments.  First off, I have to know what I’m even trying to do with this blog, and how to do it.  In short, I want to foster a community where we can all discuss and encourage one another to follow our dreams by making deliberate decisions regarding our finances and our lifestyle choices.

OneTo do this, there needs to be regularity and rhythm.  One could argue that once a week is not very rhythmic, but I also have to remember that I’m balancing this with a full-time job and the desire to build into my family and local volunteer activities.

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Update May 3, 2018: I am now slowing down to one post every other week. To learn why, check out my post on hypocrisy.
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TwoThere also needs to be good, two-or-more-way conversation.  A conversation involves more than just standing on a soapbox with a megaphone, and it’s more than a simple “How was your day, kids?”  “Fine” pseudo-dialogue.  A conversation involves thinking about what the other person is saying and responding in kind, iteratively.  Ergo I will respond dutifully to comments and emails.

A conversation involves thinking about what the other person is saying and responding in kind, iteratively.

ThreeI will not produce garbage.  Well, I’ll certainly try to not produce garbage!  Your definition and mine might differ!  Seriously though, I will put thought and effort into this blog so that it is hopefully both entertaining and empowering to you, the reader.

FourAnd finally, I am public about who I am.  I value a positive reputation, and by being open I hope to foster community, trust and further accountability.  This includes any comments I post on other blogs, too.

So… Did you notice what I’ve also done here?  I’ve made all of you my “accountability partners” for this adventure / experiment called DeliberateChange.ca™.  I’m certainly not the first person to do this, and that’s probably because it works.  (Please don’t go roasting me in the comments when I mess up!)  And it also works with other more serious aspects in life.  Let’s say your finances are in shambles, or your marriage is failing, or you’re struggling at work.  Or you just need some ongoing motivation to hit some long-term goals.  These are all great areas to find someone you trust and invite them to challenge you and hold you accountable for your behaviours and actions.

Pencil with ShadowYour Turn Now!

Have you ever had an accountability partner (even under a different term)?  Did it work or not, and why?  Anybody brave enough to join me in asking this community, small (nonexistent?) as it is, to join you in your adventures and challenges?

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* Expect this to be a future blog post someday…

New Downloads Available (Nov 23, 2017)
Goodbye Comfort Zone – Hello Internet!

Comments

  1. I’ve been meeting with a few people for accountability; business, personal, and faith. For growing past my baseline (waking up at 10am, aimless busywork, gratuitous (social) media), accountability has provided great measurable benefits. It gives a reason to be focused, and to work toward seemingly impossible goals! Thanks Chris, I’m stoked for your Deliberate Change!

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