ColdShower #68🥶🚿 Clear WHY, Techniques for Self-Accountability, and Research Rabbit Holes
A dog in a wool vest is in some sense a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Shower thought via Reddit.
The ColdShower: Weekly thoughts for better health, habits, and happiness.
Bump this: The Kick
Your WHY is your destination
Techniques for self-accountability
Rethink: “Is there a value to falling into research rabbit holes?”
Recharge
One last note on New Year’s resolutions
Typically the start of my new year goes as follows:
Create an extensive list of lofty and directionless goals
Start hot, then quickly fall off the rails
Forget about my goals until the next year
Something’s off here…
If that story sounds familiar, perhaps I can offer a different way. In years past, my resolutions have been mostly aimless. I used the momentum to get started and the discipline to keep on course, but my MAP had no destination.
Your WHY is your destination.
I have a strong “why” this year — a young child, wife, and desire to grow our family.
While working towards my yearly goals will be hard, I have a sense of peace. My ship isn’t being steered by fear & anxiety. For perhaps the first time (or at least in a long time), I’m driven but also calm.
For the rest of you go-getters setting (or already doing) 2024 goals, I hope you find peace in your own why.
Refine
Keeping yourself accountable
Accountability January, Part 4. (Need to catch up? — Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
When the rubber meets the road, we must rely on ourselves to keep our goals and commitments.
We’re with ourselves every day. We know our habits and we witness our actions.
Not living up to our own standards creates an Integrity Gap we must solve. Accountability teams are a powerful tool for getting started and building momentum, but self-accountability should be our gold standard.
Tools & techniques for personal accountability
Personal accountability is a journey. If you’re reading this, then like me, you’re likely striving to get a little better each day. Treat yourself with care and watch that you don’t let personal accountability morph into negative self-talk.
Some techniques I use or have used in the past:
Accountability mirror - Inspired by David Goggins. Post-it notes on your bathroom mirror with your goals. 100% guaranteed to bother your clean & tidy wife. (;
Daily Journal - set your intentions for the day and reflect on the previous day. I set strategic & tactical goals each day and give myself a workday grade.
Regularly Review & Adjust - A goal loses its value if not maintained. I have a printout of my yearly goal in my office, and view my quarterly goals each week during my Monday morning planning.
Rethink
The silver lining to “wasted time”
Rethink: “Is there a value to falling into research rabbit holes?”
This week I “wasted” time researching a problem. I ran out of time, went down internet rabbit holes, and left more confused than when I started.
But perhaps that time wasn’t all wasted.
As Gio Lodi (author of Remotely Productive) puts it:
So for now, I’m stuck on my particular problem. The silver lining is that it’s a signal for a problem worth solving.
What’s your silver lining to research rabbit holes?
Still On The Toilet?
The Integrity Gap © – How To Reduce Anxiety, Stress, And Self-Doubt In Sales
#27: How to Develop Personal Accountability. Lessons From “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins (Part 3)
THANK YOU for making it to the end!
My usual thought to being stuck is to Be Still and Listen but in reality being still doesnt last very long because if you're truly listening , your gears start moving and eventually you will melt that ice.
Great post . Enjoyed the Integrity Gap - Do our daily actions match our beliefs, thoughts and words?! ouch! Back to mindful actions and goals....................2024!