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Health, Spiritual

Accountability Corner

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“Accountability Corner” by Joan Y. Edwards

In interviewing Cartoonist, Bill Harvey, I discovered that he set up a tradition to help make himself accountable for creating a new cartoon every week. He promised himself that he would send his sisters a new cartoon every Friday. He has kept this tradition for almost two years. So amazing!
So I thought. Why don’t I begin a group of people to act as weekly goal accountability partners on my website.  I asked Bill Harvey if it was all right for me to use his idea and share it with you. He said, “Of course. Feel free to share.” Thank you, Bill.
On my website from 2010 to 2018 we had PubSubbing where I encouraged people to submit their manuscripts to a writing group, editor, or publisher every month.
Times change. People’s interests and needs change. Submitting your work (Pub Subbing) is still a great idea, but perhaps you don’t have your manuscript to submit. Maybe you’ve decided not to submit your work but to self-publish it. Maybe your confidence has waned. You might need a different twist…a little oomph to start or finish a project that’s been on your mind.
COVID changed you.  Your usual every day schedules and activities went through massive changes. Personally, you may need “something” to help you focus on creating new illustrations or completely rewriting a beloved manuscript. Or you may need help getting dreaded chores done.
I believe that setting a weekly goal for doing whatever chore or project you’ve put off for a thousand times or because of more a million or more excuses will help you accomplish what you really want. Excuses such as, grief over the loss of people, places, and things that used to be true. The inner fear that you don’t measure up because you don’t know what to do or you’re afraid to try new things. Or perhaps your very soul has been damaged by something someone said about your writing, drawing, cooking, running, knitting, sport skills, organization skills, etc. That hurt stops you in your tracks. Each of you can probably send me the reasons you are wounded and stopped in your path. However, I want you (and me) to be able to arise from all those negatives and decide one thing you want to accomplish by next Friday.  Something you want to accomplish so much that you are willing to make a promise to do it before midnight Friday, March 17, 2023.
You say to me, but Joan I don’t write or illustrate. I don’t do comics. Okay. Perhaps your goal is a chore or something you’ve put off because it’s not fun for you from your past experiences: cleaning out a closet, calling an old friend, writing a letter, doing your taxes, walking around the block, cooking new dishes, reading a new book, drawing, painting, spending more time praying. You name it. I want you to accomplish it. I think working with others who also want to see a chore to completion will make it fun. It will be challenging but definitely possible.
Choose a Reward
It’s important to have a meaningful reward for meeting your deadline on Friday. It can be little or big but something that helps motivate you: coffee, donut, watch a movie, call a friend, put $10 in savings. You decide.

Choose an Accountability Partner
If you have a friend, who would be your Accountability Partner, that’s great. Discuss it with him/her. Perhaps your friend may join you and work on and promise to do something they’ve procrastinated on, too. You could help each other.  In the resources section there are links that might provide you find a partner. Or use me and Accountability Corner on my website as your partner.
DO ACCOUNTABILITY FRIDAY FOR 6 WEEKS
There are now 3 Accountability Corner posts in the series. I may put other posts Accountability Corner posts as you tell me what might help you be successful in achieving your goals. I hope this idea speaks to you. I used it this week to help me work on an illustration for “Larry, the Terrifying Turkey.” The illustration is not finished, but it is definitely more than I had to begin with because I had no illustration  for this last chapter of the book at all. Zilch. Nada. I hope by using this Accountability Corner, I’ll create, finish, and get the book self-published. Da da. Fingers Crossed.
Ponder and think about it this week and plan to begin next week…beginning on Monday, March 13. Of course, begin whenever you are ready! Go for it.
Monday, March 13: leave a comment or email me telling what you plan to accomplish by Friday, March 17th at midnight. Tell me how long you plan to work on it each day.
Friday, March 17:  leave a comment or email me telling that you made your deadline and accomplished what you set out to do. And what reward you gave yourself.
It takes 21 days to set a new habit. If you do it for 4 or 5 weeks, I believe it’ll be in your soul. You won’t feel right if you don’t do it. Work on your projects on Monday through Friday or choose Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or only Saturday and Sunday. You decide how many days you want to work on it each week. Consider it your job.
Sometimes God sends you messages from what you read. This morning, This morning I read the devotion for today from Lenten Companion for Year A. It said:
“The fact that Jesus is led to the desert intentionally is important for us. Rarely do we grow unless we are intentional about our growth. Intentionality primarily requires three things: we have to know what we want, we have to have a plan, and we have to have people hold us accountable.”
Intention. Action. Result. Accountability
I plan to encourage and inspire you to think about it. Decide what action you intend to take. What are the results you hope for. How are you going to keep yourself motivated and accountable?
Do it and the energy will come. Start and the energy (excitement, knowledge, skills, resources, and stick-to-it-ness) you need will come to help you finish.
Make sure that what you plan to do can actually be done in the time allotted. If you need more than one week, break it down into sections of what can be accomplished in one week.
I, ______________________, promise that I will do my best to finish the  project described here   ____________________________________________ before midnight on next Friday, March 17, 2023.
Please leave a comment on this post.  Let me know if you think Accountability Corner will help you. I’d love to hear from you.

Resources

Accountability Corner Posts:
“Accountability Corner” (This post)
https://joanyedwards.com/accountability-corner
“Accountability Corner – Step 2 – Project Ideas
https://joanyedwards.com/accountability-corner-step-2-project-ideas/
“Accountability Corner – Step 3 – Your Weekly Project Plan:”
https://joanyedwards.com/accountability-corner-step-3-your-weekly-project-plan/
Help you find an accountability buddy:
  • Action Buddy.io. “Accountability Apps:” https://actionbuddy.io/blog/accountability-apps

 Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards, Author
Copyright © 2009-2023 Joan Y. Edwards

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