Whether you’re working remotely, starting your own business, freelancing, or paving your own way towards achieving your goals, you shouldn’t have to do it alone. A year ago I was the person who thought she could do everything herself. I didn’t need to ask for help because I had Google and Google knows everything. Right? What was the point of telling other people my ideas, when it didn’t even involve them? No one was allowed to know what I was doing until it was time to execute.
Needless to say, that was a terrible mindset to have. And I spent way too long trying to figure things out for myself when what I needed was a support system who could provide insight into what I was going through because they were going through (or had gone through) the same things I had experienced.
Creating foundational support to guide you through your journey of personal and professional growth can mean the difference between just achieving your goals, and realizing that you’re capable of so much more than you’ve ever known.
There are different ways to create this system of support for yourself and depending on the type of person you are and what you’re trying to achieve. The good news is that you have options! Here are just a few of the ways you can connect with like-minded people to stay accountable and achieve your goals.
Masterminds
Sometimes your goals can seem impossible. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with people who get it. The concept of a mastermind was introduced in Napoleon Hill’s ’Think and Grow Rich’ and has since grown into a crucial tool that business owners and budding entrepreneurs use to validate ideas, stay focused and help others who are in similar situations as themselves. When you’re connected to like-minded achievers, like those you can find in a mastermind, it elevates the way you think and the way you set and work towards goals. A good mastermind can change the limits you set for yourself. Even more than receiving validation for your ideas, something that may or may not happen in a mastermind, being surrounded by people who are going through or who have gone through similar challenges and triumphs as yourself can put things in perspective and let you know if you’re on the right path. You’ll learn from people who have done things you haven’t done as well as people who have already experienced what you’re currently going through which can help reinforce whether or not you’re on the right path. If you’re having trouble finding a mastermind group that creates a mutually beneficial support system, you can always create your own! Set expectations for the type of people you’re looking to connect with and build your own system of supportive peers.
Head over to the Dojo events calendar to find out how you can join Dojo’s next mastermind!
Coworking Spaces
If you’re reading the Dojo Blog, I probably don’t need to tell you about the immense value that comes from joining a coworking space. Even if you don’t work remotely full time or can fully function working at home or at a cafe, you can’t beat the synergy that exists when like minded people are literally just sitting within close proximity of one another. In addition to having a physical space dedicated for getting things done, the community aspect of coworking spaces can inspire you to try things you might not have ever considered had you not sat beside a particular person one day. Coworking spaces provide the best of both worlds; a place for independent and autonomous workers to have a dedicated place to focus, as well as a collaborative community of people looking to network and share ideas without the messy politics and arbitrary rules of traditional office life. Coworking began as a way for people who work from home to have a dedicated office space and has transformed into a social movement that people choose to be apart of. They provide the option to work from home without the isolation and loneliness associated with it and create a natural community just from being around other people. Not to mention you’re exposed to people who are doing things and working in industries you‘re not familiar with creating a tremendous learning opportunity and source of inspiration.
Coaching and courses
A good coach will help you get clear you get clear on your goals and provide one-on-one support to make sure you’re on the right track. Working with a coach can help improve your work performance, get you clear on your priorities and, help you manage your time more effectively. They will hold you accountable to what you say you’re going to do. Paying money for a coach creates a sense of accountability in itself to motivate you because you don’t want your money to go to waste. You only get out of coaching the amount of effort you put into it, and paying a sometimes hefty fee for a good coach can inspire you to do better as to not disappoint your coach and most of all yourself.
Finding the right coach might take some trial and error, but be patient. To find the right coach for you, ask friends who have done one-on-one coaching about their experience and for their recommendations. It’s rare to find a successful entrepreneur who hasn’t had coaching, so asking the people you look up to, who helped them get to where they are is a great start to finding a coach that’s a good fit for your business. You can also do a search for online communities in your industry. These communities often have mentorship programs that you can join and you’re likely to meet people who can refer you to specific coaches that fit your lifestyle.
Accountability Partners
Whereas a coach will hold you accountable for your goals, having an accountability partner is more of a mutually beneficial partnership than coaching. Accountability partners are two ormore people who choose each other to share their goals and task each other with making sure the other is doing what they say their going to do, when they say their going to do it. There’s nothing that will kick you in to gear than having someone constantly ask you what you did that day or if you actually put in the time and effort to achieve what you set out to. If you’re the type of person that needs struggles with self-discipline, accountability partners can help you stay accountable for yourself. Just don’t mistake accountability partners as the people responsible for keeping you on track. It’s still your responsibility to manage your time and your priorities. Your partners will be there to check in along the way, but it’s still on you to do the things you set out for yourself to do.
The type of foundational support you choose to set up in your professional and personal life all depends on your goals and the type of people you’re hoping to surround yourself with. Trying one or more of these systems can change the way you view yourself, help you stop wasting time on unimportant things, and show you how to call your own shots.
Also published on Medium.
