Accountability - Forward, March!

Last week I was able to teach a lesson on Time Management at ACFW's stay-at-home conference, hosted by Karin Beery and Tiffany Coulter. I kept chuckling over the fact that I was teaching such a class because lately, I have had NO time. But life comes in seasons, and this season happens to have me on the road. A lot.


One of the points I made in the Time Management lesson is the importance of having an accountability group and the difference it's made in my life. Before becoming part of that small group, I often felt like I was climbing more solo than I actually was.  The accountability group provided not just accountability, but support, too.

I've often toyed with starting an accountability group open to others and finally did. It's called Forward, March! It's based on what we do in the very small group Joanne and I are part of, and I asked Joanne to join me to help get the group up and running.

Here's what we do in Forward, March!:

  • Every Friday evening a roll call is sent out and each member is to send in their goals for the upcoming week.
  • These are goals related to the business of writing... Word count, research, edits, platform building. Anything that relates to the overall big picture of the business of writing.
  • Each weekend, in the same email, the members report in, specifically, in detail, how they did on the goals they set for the week that just finished.
  • These are usually bullet point lists, making it easy to account for.
  • Brevity is encouraged. LoL, not that we always make this one. ;-)
In the years I've been part of this small group, I've accomplished much more than I  would have otherwise. Our goals lists and reports keep us self-motivated, and for those times when we need "encouragement" to get moving, someone is there with the fabled wet noodle. In fact, it came out this week, and a deadline was set. Joanne said (not to me this time! phew!) "I'll be emailing on Wednesday to see if you did this!" You can be assured, follow up will happen on Wednesday. LoL. Kind prodding does wonders!

The value of an accountability group is the multifaceted. 

  • There's support, friendship, and wet noodles to prod you onward. There's also a record for you to see, and thus evaluate, of your habits.  
  • It helps you spot the time sinks and how long you've been procrastinating on a certain thing.
  • As people in the group make forward progress...as YOU make forward progress, momentum is built, which will encourage you and others in the group. It's a synergistic effect.

YOU can be a part of this!  =)

If you would like to join a writer's accountability group, go to Forward, March! and request membership. Let me know where you heard about this group and what you write (just because I'm curious! *grin*).

We would love to have you join us!!


1 comment:

Thanks so much for stopping by! I love hearing from you.

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