An Undeniable Force of Nature

Step 3: Accountability: The differentiator

Sitting on the graduation floor at Mercer University, I was naively grinning from ear to ear and ready for the ceremony to conclude so I could go and tackle the world. But before I left to go to the office that Saturday afternoon (true story) I remember the school’s president saying, “The myth of the self-made man is simply that, a myth.” That one quote stuck with me that day, and I find it prevalent in our daily lives as very few people can accomplish their goals without the help and collaboration of others. If they can do it on their own, I would argue their goals and dreams aren’t big enough.

Humans in general hate accountability. I think we hate it so much because in a perfect world we would be intrinsically motivated to reach our goals, and we would love what we do so much that it wouldn’t feel like work. Unfortunately, I don’t know many people living in that perfect world, making accountability a necessity for progress.

An old colleague used to say, “What people want is a hug, but what they really need is accountability.” Personal accountability is an oxymoron, we need others to help us get to where we want to be. If we don’t need help reaching our goals, then we need higher goals. So how can we go about establishing an environment of accountability?

First, let’s this simple and continuously work towards being on the same page as our significant others. Not only can you help hold each other accountable when that morning alarm goes off, but you can encourage each other to get promotions and raises and may think twice about making that big purchase when someone else is depending on you!

Secondly, we need to find a way to keep score. My first boss used to say, “Winners keep score,” and Chris McChesney writes in his book, “People play differently when they are keeping score… People like to win, so no extrinsic motivation is needed.” Whether it is using an online application, or tediously handwriting and tracking your progress, we have to find a sustainable way to quantify and see our progress, and sometimes regress, towards our goals.

Lastly, and this shouldn’t come as a surprise to you, I’m going to encourage you to work with a financial planner. I am a big proponent of the belief that we should all have an outside, third party to watch over us and help make certain we stay on track over the years. We are constantly in the weeds of day to day life, and we all could use another set of eyes and an outside perspective of someone knowledgeable of our current situation, our goals, and of the solutions that are available to help us get from where we are to where we want to be.

Think it is expensive to work with a financial advisor? Not nearly as expensive as continuously missing your financial goals, which could lead to more expensive and further losses in the future. Yes, you could potentially follow every step I have laid out and find success, but would it really be healthy for your marriage to hold your spouse accountable, or would you rather have someone else do that? How much time would it take for you to track your progress and keep score on how you are doing, and wouldn’t a professional have more tools and be more affective at doing that for you?

If your finances are a priority (and they should be), I highly encourage you to reach out and interview a few financial advisors to see which one fit’s best with your personality and situation. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the process of planning, the results you will see, and by how little it may potentially cost to get top notch information, insight, and accountability from a professional. Here is to you becoming an undeniable force of nature!