How was yesterday for you? I spent it learning how to move this blog, plus trying to get my domain out of the hands of the GoDaddy people. I had plenty of time to do so – a current project is sitting idle until I can get some interviews lined up.
Anne and I were talking about bookending during our About Writing Squared call the other day. Bookending – accountability – call it what you like, but it’s probably the strongest weapon in your battle to stay on task and on track. Anne’s post on it is here.
Bookending is this – reporting to someone what it is you’re about to take on or do, then following up later with that someone to check your progress. Accountability in any business is a powerful tool. In freelancing, it’s a game changer.
We do it here every month. Actually, I do it here and you follow if you’re feeling like it. Not exactly the same, but if you commit to reporting your progress to someone – anyone – once a week, once a project, once a month, you’ll see a difference in your work outcome and in your own attitude. When I started reporting openly my activities, I started tracking what I was doing. With that visual reminder always on my monitor screen (literally – I have virtual sticky notes), I saw my own commitment to marketing increase.
What you can use bookending for:
Tracking marketing. That comes to mind because it’s how I use it every month. That visual, public reminder of my progress not only gets me to own up to my own shortcomings, but may also inspire you to do the same.
Learning new skills. If you want to learn HTML, SEO, or any other acronym or skill, use bookending to push you in the right direction. Set the goal in your mind. Figure out how much time you can devote to it each week, then tell a friend.
Finishing a project. I remember being on a call with coach Lisa Gates when I mentioned one goal I’d not completed – finishing my book manuscript. She said, “So when are you going to do that?” Without hesitation, I said “By November 30th.” Wow. Did I really say that?
Funny thing about verbalizing the commitment – I now had to make it happen. So I did. I’d said November 30th because I knew NanoWriMo was coming up. I had no more excuses. Time to get it done. And I did – last damn day at 9:30 pm, I finished. Oy and Amen.
Organizing your workspace. I know you sit there among piles of papers and files and dust bunnies. I know because I do, too. Plan your day to clean and organize. I know you think you’ll do it when you have down time between projects, but I know my own propensity toward Bejeweled Blitz, genealogy, or blog and Facebook surfing. Schedule it. Trust me.
Do you use any accountability practices in your own work process? If so, how has that helped you? Where might you apply bookending?
I'm an obsessive list maker. I love the feeling of accomplishment I get each time another task is crossed off the list. (It's so bad that if I do something extra I write it down just so I can cross it off. I know – that's silly, and possibly a form of OCD, but I do it.)
Because freelancers work independently it's really important for us to have some form of accountability. A looming deadline is enough to keep most of us on track, but might not be enough for procrastinater who keep blowing deadlines.
Another thing that works for me is competition. A long time ago, a writer friend set a goal for herself of completing one article per week. Even without telling her I had to try to match or beat that. In grade school I played flute in an extracurricular band (most kids signed up just to get out of class a little early). When the band director realized almost no one was practicing at home, he gave us charts to track how much time we practiced, and a parent or guardian had to confirm and sign the sheet. Having to put it down on paper – and be accountable – motivated me to practice, even if it was just 10 minutes here or 15 minutes there. I didn't want to be the kid who wasn't trying.
Every morning Monday – Friday I email two friends – one is a writer and the other is small business owner – to tell them what I'm planning to accomplish that day. They also email me their day writing/business-related schedules. Seeing the same objective show up in my list every morning is a stark reminder that I have to get on and do it. And I can't just slack off when want because my accountability partners would want to know why I'm not making progress on certain plans. And yes, they have called me on it when I failed check in with them or some assignment stayed on the list too long.
Paula, you're right about competition. Sometimes that's as strong a motivation as accountability is!
Damaria, that sounds like a super practice. Maybe I should try that here, too?
I also bookend other stuff I don't really like doing, like the dishes or the laundry… not all the time, but sometimes. And since I hate calling back and saying I didn't get it done, I usually do.
For me it takes both sides of the bookend.
Oh, and thanks for the link 😉