How To Gain Accountability To Achieve Your Goals
I consider myself highly disciplined. I keep a fairly consistent daily routine and work hours. I’m typically good at setting daily goals for myself and finishing most of them most of the time. But the last few months have been tested my focus like none other.
Even the most disciplined person can lose focus after working remotely and managing multiple projects for so long, right? I’m juggling currently writing chapters for my PhD career transition guide with Oxford University Press, day-to-day work functions, personal responsibilities and social life, and I needed a new strategy. Can you relate?
Cal Newport’s book “Deep Work” introduced me to the idea that deep, enriching work comes when we really commit ourselves to pushing further on the challenge, goal, or idea before us. Practicing deep work requires cutting out distractions and dedicating a significant stretch of time to truly focus.
I needed reinforcements, so I gave the virtual coworking app Focusmate a try for one week. (This is not a sponsored post. I just love sharing tools I’ve had success with.)
The dashboard looks like a streamlined Google Calendar. I chose three free 50-minute coworking sessions and didn’t even need to enter credit card info. Upon scheduling, I was paired with a stranger who signed up to work at the same time.
For our coworking session, the platform brought us to a Zoom-like meeting room without all the distracting features — it’s just you, your new partner, and a countdown timer. In the first minute, each person says what their goal is for the session, then you both mute and get to work with your cameras on.
When the 50 minutes are up, the timer chimes softly. You unmute and share how far you got on your task before wishing each other “good luck” and saying goodbye.
What did I find?
No-fuss accountability. With such a simple virtual platform, it’s easy to sign up for sessions, even at the last minute. Somehow the scarcity of three free sessions per week makes me value them more. The 50-minute time frame also gives just the right amount of time to really ease into your deep-working flow. Not showing up, showing up late, or popping up and down during a session would disturb my coworking partner, so I show up ready to work. I have a glass of water and any project-related materials I need at my side, and I turn off my cell phone ringer and put it out of reach.
You’re paired with a stranger, so there’s no obligation to help them or give them advice on their session’s task. The random pairing also helps with accountability. There’s no burden of finding partners, scheduling, and reminding people to stick to their scheduled times, and there’s something about knowing a stranger will be waiting for me that makes me take each session seriously.
Plus, it’s cool to get a sneak peek into others’ projects — writing, reading, editing photography, preparing presentations, it runs the gamut. This solution isn’t only for the solopreneur, remote worker or student. Any collaborators, study groups or other small teams can dig deeper while working simultaneously in silence. With just a few clicks, you or your team can share a silent space of accountability and focus your disjointed thoughts through a significant stretch of deep coworking.
