Unlocking Success: The Most Powerful Key to Achievement is Accountability

A weekly appointment provides the perfect energy for building a habit of writing. Just one hour a week can create success--from only having a dream to done!

“Willpower for these individuals involves a lot of buffering.”

A survey said that the people who felt they demonstrated the most willpower in their lives also declared it was easy for them to do so. I read this in a well established study on willpower that encapsulated what I'd been reading about across multiple well-established science studies for years. The

Before you--like me--start gnashing your teeth with envy, know that when scientists looked at what these people actually meant by 'willpower', it turns out they didn't mean that they 'just do it' or just 'get it done.' It turns out that the key for people who exhibit willpower involves a lot of buffering.

But what is buffering?

Buffering involves setting up accountability. They've consciously created a pathway for themselves that make doing something automatic. They set up an appointment with an account in two weeks, so they'll get their tax forms in order for the year. There's now a sense of slight pressure--the appointment--to get the accounts in order by that date. They'e built motivation and momentum into getting that task done by involving another person.

They exercise because they make appointments with others to play squash, go for a run, etc.

Ha! I thought when I read this. That's what willpower actually is? Who knew?

Buffering can involve not just another person for accountability but also habit building. People who easily deploy 'willpower' consciously created a pathway for themselves that made doing something automatic.

Why is this called buffering? Because they are buffering the task--exercise, in this case--so it will happen. They've made a specific time and date with someone--so this means (usually) they won't schedule something else at that time. And someone will be there to meet with them. So there's a push to follow through with the plan, because out of respect they (usually) won't cancel their plans. They have buffered themselves against giving the time over to something else and from deciding in the moment that they just don't want to.

If you have a meeting with someone who provides accountability--your chances of success go up up up. If you regularly meet with someone who provides accountability, your chances of success soars!

This is for adults. We obviously realize teens and children need accountability--lots of it--and set it up for them with all kinds of coaches, lessons, etc. YET! We still have these moments where we somehow feel that wanting to do something hard--writing a book, learning to play a musical instrument, or getting into shape after being out of shape--should spontaneously happen out of the blue. Even for our children or teens.

I'm shaking my head. It can work that way--sometimes--but the people who get the most of out of life--those who are the most achiever oriented (even if that achievement is one of pleasure) do so by starting small, and starting with some kind of accountability. They use this as an easy way to begin building a habit. Walking with a friend once a week, pulling out the guitar for ten minutes before dinner is ready, or meeting with a writing coach once a week.

So if you are interested in writing, or if someone you love is interested, I'm here to provide gentle, reasonable accountability. I always start with a free session. This year, so many are suffering, I'm offering two free sessions. You have nothing to lose -- contact me today.

As always, if you or someone you’re raising is interested in writing a big project, you can let me know in the contact form and we can chat about you/your learner and the project to see if I can help.