How to get the important stuff done as an independent consultant

When you first set up as an independent consultant it feels amazing. You don’t have a boss. You can do what you like, when you like. Then you realise there are so many demands on your time. Client work always gets done but what about the stuff that will help your business grow? The stretchy stuff – the marketing, networking, content creation, social media strategy, new products and services.

With only so many hours in the day, it’s easy to neglect the stuff we don’t HAVE to do. What would happen if you actually did those little things each day that would help you build the business you dream of? That’s where accountability comes in.

With only so many hours in the day, it’s easy to neglect the stuff we don’t HAVE to do. Click To Tweet

What is accountability?

Accountability means having somebody to check in with regularly. You make a commitment about what you’re going to do over a time period and you share it with that person. Then you check in with them at the end of the period and report on whether you managed to achieve your actions.

There are a few ways that you can do this. The key is finding the right approach, or combination of approaches for you.

Public accountability

This is where you make a public commitment that you’re going to do something. It could be you’re going write a book, launch a new product or service, or write a weekly blog or newsletter. It’s a very public way of making sure that you honour that promise.

This is what I’m doing with Brand Story TV – my Facebook Lives. I’m sharing in my email to my community and on my Facebook page that I’ll be doing it. If I don’t show up, it reflects badly on me and it’s disrespectful to people that have got themselves organised to be online at 8.00 a.m. Rather than taking the chance to have a sneaky lie-in on a Friday morning, it makes sure that I get myself out of bed and video-ready! The benefits have already started to pay off. I know that people are enjoying the content, and it’s also started to generate some interesting opportunities in my business.

This is a high risk approach. If you don’t deliver it is very public! But that’s also why it’s very effective.

Individual/group accountability 

There are three options for individual or group accountability:

1. Having an accountability partner – This simple option costs you nothing but time commitment. You pair up with somebody – a friend, a colleague or somebody you’ve met networking – who is on a similar business journey and you check in with them maybe once a week by phone/video call or email. You each set and share your goals for the week ahead and report back how you did. The key thing is not to set too many, – say a maximum of  three. Make them things that will truly move your business forward, rather than delivery-focused tasks that you’d get done anyway. If you don’t achieve them don’t be too harsh on yourself. Work together to understand what got in the way and how you can change it.
2. Working with a coach/mentor – Sometimes just working with a coach or mentor gives you all the accountability you need. A good one will set you some specific homework that you need to do between now and your next session with them. That will help you to up your delivery and work on those things that can be tempting to leave but are so important to growing your business.
   Sometimes just working with a coach or mentor gives you all the accountability you need. Click To Tweet
3. Joining a mastermind programme – A mastermind is when a group of people at similar stages in their business work together to solve each other’s challenges and hold each other accountable. They typically meet fortnightly or monthly over at least three months by phone, video or in person. Masterminds can be paid and include guidance and input from a business expert, or they can be informal. There’s no reason why you can’t get a few people together from your network – I suggest around four – and give it a go. Participants typically share out the session time. So if four people get together for an hour, each has 15 minutes to sit in the ‘hot seat.’ They explain a challenge they’re working on and the group helps them to solve it. Masterminds are great for accountability because at the end of the call you set your priorities for the next period. At the next call you share whether you’ve achieved them or not and the group helps keep you accountable.

I’ve tried all these things in the past. At the moment I’m doing informal weekly check-ins with a friend. And I’ve just joined a paid mastermind with six other independent businesses.

How to get started with accountability

My advice is to think about what you’re not getting done in your business. Then ask ‘What is the cost to you of not doing those things?’ What would happen if you actually started to implement those pieces of work and took the steps to building the business of your dreams? Where could your business really end up?

Then think about what way might be right for you: Getting an accountability buddy, working with a coach or a mentor, getting involved in a mastermind, or going public about some of the stuff you want to do.

Many of these options don’t have to cost you anything. You can simply get together with a friend or group of people and start focusing on this stuff. You’ll be surprised at the impact it will have in a short time!

What works for you?

What are your experiences? Do you already have a solution for getting the important stuff done in your business? I’d love to know what works for you. Please feel free to share in the comments box below.

Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash