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An Accountability Case Study

A couple weeks ago I released a video tip titled, “The Importance of Accountability.” In that video, I shared a few different reasons why having some form of accountability system in place in your voice over business can be a huge asset for you. In fact, it can be the difference between reaching your goals and not!

To build on that theme, I’d like to tell you a little story from my own life in the past few weeks which truly demonstrates what a difference accountability can make.

A Story About A Watch

apple watchSince the release of the Apple Watch, I’ve thought about purchasing one. Do I need one? No. Does anybody? Not really! I’m an Apple Fan Boy. That was my sole justification for wanting one. I couldn’t really find any logical or practical reason for one. It seemed to have no use or capability as a standalone device that made it worth the amount I’d spend to become a proud owner.

These are the things I told myself for months. All in an attempt to convince myself I didn’t need one.

My convincing didn’t work. In fact, if anything, it had the opposite affect.

What happens when you tell a child no? They do the exact opposite of what you tell them they’re not to do. Evidently, my brain works the same.

A couple weeks ago, on a whim, I jumped in my truck, drove to the Apple Store, and walked away with my very own Apple Watch Sport. All those messages I fed myself about why it made no sense, served no purpose, and had no practical application, only made me want it more. Guess I just had to prove myself wrong, maybe?

A Story About A Sort Of Runner

Those of you that read regularly know I run. Or at least, I try. Thing is, I’m definitely a fair-weather runner. That is to say, as soon as it stops being spring or summer, I pretty much stop running. I don’t run in the rain, the wind, the cold, etc. Weak, I know. But true. I only run when it’s nice and warm and maybe there’s a breeze.

Basically what this means is, the rest of the year, when it’s not nice enough to run, my physical activity consists of walking from my office to the fridge for a Dr Pepper. Also from my office to the couch or recliner. Oh, and from the couch to my bed. Probably not the healthiest of lifestyles.

When you go through the initial set up of an Apple Watch, it has an app called “Activity” and the app makes you set fitness goals. Goals for how many calories you want to burn on a given day, how many hours you want to spend standing / moving, and how many minutes you want to spend doing physical exercise.

A Story About Circles

activity-circlesWhat I didn’t realize was, through the day, the Apple Watch will prompt you about the status of your goals. With the standing goal, in particular, ten minutes before the top of the hour, every hour, you’ll be prompted to get up and move around for a few minutes, if you haven’t already done so. Considering I sit at a desk for a living, it’s very easy for me to sit for an entire hour and not even realize it.

Not so with Apple Watch! Why? Accountability.

About a week ago, at 11:30pm one night, my Apple Watch informed me I hadn’t yet met my goals for the day. I immediately felt guilty. Do you know what I did? I went to the stairwell in my building, and I started running the the stairs. Up and down. Until I closed the circles on my Activity App for the day.

Accountability.

Similarly, before Game 2 of the World Series started, I knew I hadn’t yet met my goals for the day. I also knew the game would likely run long, and I wouldn’t have time to go out for a walk before the day ended. I couldn’t stand the thought of not closing my Activity Circles. I had no choice but to jump on the treadmill and do a 25 minute run before the game started.

The Importance Of Accountability

It seems, after only a couple weeks of being an owner, I’ve found one major justification for my Apple Watch. One major practical use.

Accountability.

Whereas prior to my watch, I could spend hours upon hours in my office, sitting at my desk, working away on growing my voice over business, now I’m also making physical activity a priority. I’m taking care of myself better than I was two weeks ago, all because of this little device I wear on my wrist. All because of the accountability it’s introduced into my day when it comes to physical activity.

If you don’t have an accountability system in your business, you may not be maximizing your potential. You may be letting opportunities go unnoticed. You could be letting clients slip away. You might even be leaving money on the table!

Whether it’s a device, a list, a schedule, a person or a group… make accountability a priority. It could be the variable that takes your marketing efforts to the next level!

Thanks for sharing this post from Marc Scott's Voice Over Blog.