You Don’t Have To Go It Alone
When you’re trying to make something big happen in your life, you don’t have to go it alone.
Find someone who you can talk to about your dreams, goals and plans.
Nurture relationships with people who give you constructive, rather than destructive, feedback. You’ll get where you want to go much faster when you feel supported and encouraged.
There are at least 2 ways I suggest you get support.
1. Groups
Find or start a support group. This could be a mastermind group or a group of like-minded individuals who are also interested in getting support in achieving their goals.
If you can’t find a group in your community, start one yourself. You can put out feelers in your network or you can use a tool like www.meetup.com to create a special interest group. Meetup.com enables people to meet each other online so they can later get together face-to-face in groups in order to build real relationships.
Several people I know have formed or joined Mastermind groups. This is great for achieving short-term goals. The intention of the group is usually part goal setting, part solution-seeking and part brain-storming.
How it works:
– The process requires at least one other person, preferably a group of 4-8 people.
– You propose your goal, situation or question to the group.
– They suggest resources and ideas to help you move forward.
– You do the same for them in return.
– Mastermind groups meet on a regular basis either in person or virtually.
In addition to helping you consider new possibilities, becoming part of a mastermind group is an excellent way to keep you focused and on track with your goals.
2. Accountability Partnership
Some people like group support, and some people prefer a support relationship with only one other person. Maybe you’d like having both. If you want an accountability partner, it’s up to you and your partner how often you will meet and how you’ll structure things, but the following is a “contract” that you can use if you’d like.
An accountability partner is someone who helps you achieve your goals with an objective point of view. They will not have necessarily known you as you were so they don’t have expectations about how you should be going forward. To make a successful change, this kind of mindset is extremely important to have in your life.
I have an “accountability partner,” though we don’t call each other that. We are both very self-accountable by nature. Instead we call each other “nurturing” partners because we don’t nurture ourselves nearly enough, and that is the kind of support we need most. Mostly our “sessions” consist of debriefing, brainstorming and validating, which we truly appreciate due to our individual circumstances. We have different lifestyles and different professions, but we share a strong sense of autonomy, spirituality and personal drive. When we support each other, there’s never a sense of competition, and there’s always complete compassionate honesty.
If you want an accountability partner (or nurturing partner), it’s up to you and your partner to determine how often to meet and how you’ll structure things. Some people find it useful to have an actual contract together that is loaded with rewards and consequences. For example, “if I don’t do what I’ve committed to this week, I’ll buy you lunch.” Or, “if I achieve my goals this week, you’re picking up the coffee tab.”
These are two of the best ways I know to get support on your journey. If you have any additional ideas or want to suggest a method that works best for you, let me know so we can pass it on so others may benefit too. Which is yet another way we can be supportive, of course!
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Angela Loëb helps people rediscover and use their gifts so they bring who they are to what they do in life. http://about.me/angelarloeb
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