Accountability isn’t just about taking responsibility for mistakes. It’s also about taking responsibility for goals and strengths.
For the next two weeks I want you to complete the following two assignments:
WEEK ONE. MIRROR, MIRROR.
Each day, look at yourself in the mirror and state your vision goal and product goals as if they have already occurred.
For example, if you are a baseball player and your vision goal is to play in the Major Leagues for ten years, and your product goals for the next year are to have a battling average of .290 or better, and on-base percentage of .380 or better, then you would look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I played in the Major Leagues for ten years. In 2012 my batting average was above .290 and my on-base percentage was better than .380.”
Complete this assignment once per day for a week. And be sure when doing it to really look yourself in the eyes as you are stating your goals in past tense.
WEEK TWO. GO PUBLIC.
For the next week, I would like you to tell one person each day what your product and process goals are. For example if you play football and have a product goal this year to lead the league in rushing yards, and your process goals are to make one hundred percent of practices and strength training, to complete mental workouts and success logs every practice and game day, and to spend twenty minutes of extra practice three days per week working on footwork drills and film study, then that is exactly what I want you to say to one new person each day for the next seven days.
Completing these two exercises is a way of deepening accountability. Though they may prove difficult, this will make it easier to become accountable for the achievement of your goals.
When it comes to goals, it’s not necessarily about achieving everything you set out to accomplish. If you are achieving all of your goals you are probably not setting your goals high enough. It’s about giving your absolute best effort every day. It’s about being relentless. It’s about showing character and grit and fight that will cause you to be proud of yourself. And if you happen to come up short of your goals, then get up the next day and find a way to try a little better.
Remember, greatness isn’t supposed to be easy. But you can choose to make great effort every day!
Dr. Jason Selk LPC, NCC is the Director of Mental Training for the World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals, and author of 10-Minute Toughness and the newly released book Executive Toughness, The Mental-Training Program to Increase Your Leadership Performance (McGraw-Hill, Nov 2011).
For more on Jason you can also visit his WEBSITE.
