Some things in business are easy.

The things we’re really good at. They’re the reason we walked the path of self employment in the first place.

Our creative genius. The spark. Our flow. We can do it with our eyes shut. It’s magical.

Then there’s the other stuff…

That which overwhelms us.

Makes our eyes glaze over at the slightest thought.

We’ll tackle any other task but THAT one.


We’d rather

• Dust every inch of the house
• Wash the car – inside and out until it sparkles
• Sort emails into folders to reach coveted inbox zero

And do it willingly. Bursting with pride at our productivity. Even though it’s somewhat misguided.

The cold hard truth

Running your own business requires loads of discipline.

Making it successful means taking massive action, especially with the tasks you don’t enjoy. And, when it’s crunch time simply telling yourself to do the work isn’t always enough.

You need to make yourself accountable. And, if that doesn’t work, you need to get out the big guns for back up.

I LOVE working with my clients. Strategising, troubleshooting, and helping them reach towards whatever they want their business to be.

But like everyone else, there are some tasks I struggle to get done. Which is why I’ve got support that keeps me accountable, and that I use to help my clients too.

No more excuses! Here are some of my favourites.

It starts with this…

Set the date in your schedule. It’s that simple.

You can not miss this step out.

Make a commitment to yourself and treat the date you choose as a non-negotiable. Like a client meeting or medical appointment.

If whatever action you need to take isn’t in the schedule it will blow around in the wind unanchored, or languish at the bottom of your task list forever.

When your action requires multiple steps (think: online product launch, promotional campaign or competition, email opt in), break it down into individual tasks and actions so that it’s less overwhelming.

Don’t leave that stuff whirring around in your brain like laundry on a spin cycle. Create space in your head for fun, creative business growth stuff by braindumping every task required to make that shit happen.

Not exactly sure what needs to happen? Seek help, ask around, hire someone to figure it out for you.

Next, you’ll want to apply one or several of these accountability butt-kickers

1. The one that gets you really freakin’ organised

It may sound boring but it’s essential for creating your own success and more free time in your day. Here’s how…

2. The one that won’t accept your lamo excuses

Tell someone. Explain what you want to achieve, the date you’ve committed to and ask them to hold you to it. That person could be

• Your mum
• Your Facebook group. ALL of the groups you belong to
• A really organised business friend
• The members of your networking meeting

A public declaration may be all you need without explaining the nitty gritty behind what’s between you and getting it done:

• Post it across social media
• Write about it in your newsletter
• Post a blog about it

What’s more, this also counts as subtle promo. Yes! You’re spreading the word about your next big thing while getting accountability. SMART.

3. The one that taps into someone else’s genius

Ever had someone waiting on you to complete a task fully aware that you’re the bottleneck?

That they’ll have to rush the job, maybe making mistakes because you didn’t keep your end of the deal?

Or, that they’ve had to re-arrange their schedule just for you, impacting the rest of their day or week?

When you know that you’ll miss the deadline for them to get their piece done in good time, it doesn’t feel good. At all.

My VA knows that part of her role is to manage me. Because together we’re a team, accountability is my weak spot, and she knows it…

Email reminders, early morning / late night text messages, even penalty systems. She can use any means necessary to keep me accountable to our deadlines and I do my best to stick to them.

(Thanks Tara!)

4. The thoroughly modern one

Supposing you work completely solo and you can’t rely on someone else to keep you accountable?

No problem!

We are living in exciting times. Combine amazing technological advancements, and an increasing desire in people like us to opt out of the trad j.o.b route for something more fulfilling and what do you get?

An all-you-can-eat buffet of widgets, applications and tools that will help solo workers and small virtual teams do pretty much anything, and mostly for free or minimal cost. Try one of these for uber-productivity…

• Antisocial blocks sites that make you unproductive, like Twitter and Facebook. Plus you can set the time it blocks you out from 15 minutes to 8 hours. It supports Mac and Windows.
• is another site blocker. It’s free and available as a Chrome browser extension
• 30/30 is a timer for your to-do list, and it’s oh-so-simple. It breaks your task list down into allocated time slots so that you can accomplish them sequentially. Available on iStore (for free or donation).
• The Pomodoro technique isn’t just a tool, it’s a 6 stage process. It helps you understand how long you need to complete your activities, plus limits distractions to improve your work habits.
• If you want a simple timer based on Pomodoro try Tomato or Moosti
• If you have a team idonethis is a simple way to track productivity while keeping on top of team progress without micro-managing.

5. The one that goes beyond the common reward incentive

If none of the above work for you, I’m certain this one will…

It goes a step beyond the usual reward incentive that you’ve probably heard of, and it definitely works for me for bigger projects. Here’s how it works…

• Block out the time you need to complete the task or multiple tasks in your diary. As always… include e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g
• Choose an amazing reward for yourself that is a step beyond your usual – something that you wouldn’t normally do
• Maybe a massage, spa day, a hot new outfit, a weekend trip. It works best if your choice has a strict cancellation or refund policy
• Make it sooo special that when you’re in deep procrastination mode the thought of your reward will encourage you to get stuck in and finished
• Book your reward for the days following your task completion
• Once it’s booked or paid for you can NOT cancel. What’s more, if you don’t finish your task you can’t redeem your reward

So if you don’t get your project done in time you lose the money you’ve invested and the chance to celebrate. Ouch. Double kicker.

6. The one that gives you more than you bargained for

I know a tough business coach who pushes clients really hard so that they reach their goals. In fact, if the client doesn’t complete their homework on time, they miss their next appointment.

How’s that for hard core accountability??

I wouldn’t go that far with my clients, but working with someone who can incentivise you towards your business goals over the long term gets you much further much more quickly than going it alone.

You hire them for their expertise and knowledge, but you get a whole lot more.

Not all coaches offer accountability for their clients so if you know this is something that will help you, make sure you cover it off before you start working with them. If what you need is accountability from a firm but warm and supportive hand, let’s talk.

How hard-assed are you?

All of these ideas work but in the end, it’s up to you to do the work!

The longer you put projects off, the longer it will take to create the business and life you want for yourself.

How do you keep yourself accountable in your business. Share your ideas in the comments below!