E.M.Etheridge Author

6 steps to start an accountability/goals journal 

            Alright, guys, it’s time for us to talk about something everyone has a hard time with accountability. Holding yourself accountable takes a level of discipline that must be trained. It doesn’t happen overnight. Lucky, since I own a small business, nurture a blog, am trying to get a book published, work a full-time job, and am an avid dog mom (cause sometimes that’s a full-time job too) I have had plenty of responsibility on my shoulders. I’ve had to work out a few systems to keep myself accountable. As a writer, I love that I can use one of my pretty journals for this. As a personal trainer, I love that I can use it to break my goals down into achievable steps that will keep me motivated while I pave the way to my dreams.  

1. Get a Journal 

This is the easiest step especially if you have a collection of beautiful unused journals like I do. Overall, pick one that you get excited to work with, and has big enough pages that you can go into full detail about what you want. Mine is a gold 10” by 7.5 with a fabric binding and the word “Notebook” written in small metallic gold letters at the bottom, center-aligned of course. It’s a Designworks. ink notebook, because I’m obsessed with that brand.

2. Start with a bucket list. 

Fun right? This is important, okay. As a business owner and all the above-mentioned stuff, I realized somewhere along the way that I needed to find a work/life balance. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy, and a serial killer if you’ve watched The Shining. To avoid turning into a serial killer, I try and keep some of my fun goals in life in mind when working in this journal. I want to travel to Paris, I want to learn self-defense, I want to meet Emilia Clark, so I have to keep in mind the steps that will help me achieve those fun things that make life worth living. Our time on this earth is short, we must enjoy it. 

3. Look 5 years ahead 

The 5-year plan is a classic business strategy, and it’s lasted because it has some merit to it. You have to have some foresight to have goals. Even if you don’t own a business, you need goals and aspirations. Happiness comes from achieving and conquering goals, whether that means conquering some major gains in the gym, or getting the house of your family’s dreams, you need to know where you want to be in life so you can go somewhere in life. Take some time with this one, you don’t have to answer now, and you can always add more later, but start somewhere. If you’re a business owner or writer, break it into two lists: one that is personal or helps you check off some of your bucket list, and a business one. 

4. Break that down to the year 

After writing about what you want to achieve in five years, break your goal down into what you can achieve this year. Again, you can break this down into personal and professional if you want, but make sure there’s a balance. Breaking down goals makes them more achievable and gives you something to celebrate along the way, that can keep you motivated. On top of that, if you’re ever feeling down, it helps to look back at these achievements and remember all the things you have accomplished. 

5. Break it into months. 

From there, break your goals into months. I don’t expect you to break down all twelve months right off the bat, because I would personally get too stressed out trying to do that. I focus on one month at a time. 

At the beginning of each month, I ask myself what I want to accomplish. I try to keep my yearlong goals in mind and add at least one thing that can help me achieve each of my year goals. For example: If I want to go to Paris some of my goals could be putting away $300 a month to save up for it or learning five new phrases in French that will help me navigate France. If my goal for the year is to make X amount of money, my goal for the month could be to get two new clients or make a habit of keeping my social media platforms updated. Make it obtainable and enjoy checking those boxes off. 

• Give yourself a reward. 

Once you have your monthly goals written out, give yourself a reward if you meet them. That can be anything. I use things like a new book, a lazy day in bed, and taking myself on a sushi date. If they were big goals I might give myself something bigger like a massage or a day trip! Make sure that the reward equals the goal, or it won’t motivate you., 

7. Hold yourself accountable 

This part is important to me, but sometimes it feels like drudgery. At the end of the month, I look at my goals list and write a report to myself. Each goal only requires a sentence or two about whether you accomplish the goal, and the honest reason why or why not. 

So, if I didn’t learn my five French phrases, I have to face the why: “I got lazy so next month I’ll learn ten new phrases, and here’s how”. On the flip side, you can celebrate the things you accomplish: “This month I got three new clients instead of two!”. 

I try and do this every month, and then at the end of the year I write another reflection to see how my goals have shifted, what I’ve accomplished, and what habits I need to work on for the next year. It’s like the ultimate New Year’s resolution! 

There you have it! Those are the steps to an accountability journal, and I promise there is a crazy amount of satisfaction in being able to look back on your year and see how far you’ve come. Happy Journaling!