I’ve been thinking a lot lately about accountability.  I know for myself and the people I choose to surround myself with, there are so many things we want to do that it’s sometimes difficult to know what to do first, why we’re doing it, what we already know how to do vs. what we need help/training/coaching on, and how to stay on track and get it done.

As a Professional Career Coach, I am a big believer in ongoing training, education, development, and coaching. I read books, take classes, network with amazing people, participate in interesting forums, and I personally work with a coach, Ann Strong of Thriving Coaches. She helps me to stay on track, move forward with digestible steps, yet also stretches me gently beyond my comfort zone and shines light on the areas I can’t see because I’m the one “in it”.

Somehow, when I tell her I will do something (I take on ‘homework’ in between our coaching sessions), it gets done!  I have really accelerated the results in my business in this way.  The funny thing is that I know I’m ultimately accountable and responsible to myself but putting a ‘stake in the ground’, saying it out loud to someone else whom I respect (and invest in!) and assigning a date to it… gets it done.

I started wondering what other areas of my life need more accountability. For example, I know that I would like to be exercising more and eating differently/better.  But I’m not really doing it.  I make some progress but then backslide, stall out, and then get overwhelmed.  I wonder why this area seems so ‘easy’ for some people and difficult for others.

So, if apply my methods of success in my career coaching business to this area of my life, I know it’s time to get accountable to someone… so I did it.  I mean, I know what to do: how to exercise, my exercise options, why building lean muscle mass is important, why eating healthier matters, and so on. But I wasn’t doing it until I held myself accountable to myself through someone else.  I invested in myself to break the big goal into digestible steps, to get clear on why it’s ultimately important to me, to know what success will look like, to examine what may be holding me back and to clear it, to have another perspective, and to ultimately get it done and taken care of thereby fulfilling another goal and dream.

The dictionary defines the word accountable as this:

-adjective: subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable.

It sounds so serious yet it pretty much sums it up.  So, my questions for you are this… How do YOU stay accountable in your life? In your career? In your job search? etc. What do you need to put in place to create more accountability to yourself so your goals and dreams become reality?

If I can help you to get accountable, stay on track, stretch and grow towards your career and/or job search goals, please let me know.  You can check out your options here:

• Career Path / Success Services
• Job Search Strategy Services

And please comment!

As we all start a new year, we often stop to assess our success in the various areas of our life: health, family, friends, finances, home, and career.  While everyone has mixed feelings on ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ and whether they work for them and/or whether they create the results they want, I do believe the new year is an opportunity for everyone, worldwide, to stop, take a breather, and to re-energize their efforts to create lasting success.

As a Career Coach, I’m always talking to people about what makes them happy, unhappy, passionate, frustrated, successful, lethargic, etc. when it comes to career.  Career is such a central part of our life. Whether we work for someone else or work in our own business, it is something that not only fulfills our financial needs but also gives us a sense of ‘being in the world’ through providing a service and/or product that impacts others.

As you head into 2010, ask yourself:

• What am I doing to ensure my career feels passionate, successful, results-oriented, connected, meaningful?
• What am I doing to make sure I’m living a balanced and healthy life (so that ‘work’ doesn’t take over in an imbalanced manner)?
• What’s next for me in my career success (next quarter, next year, next 3-years, next 5-years, next 10-years, and beyond)?
• What is going well (really well) in my career and what is not going so well and may need attention? Why?
• What resources and tools do I have to ensure continued career success and satisfaction?

These are some questions that will help to get focused and gain clarity with the goal of ensuring more and more success over the coming months and years in your career.  We all know the saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to get there?”… make sure you super charge your efforts to have a clear course.

I often find that folks who are clear with themselves about what they really want, tend to achieve it. My theory is that they, “put it out there” so they are more likely to attract opportunities that match what they want and/or they are more likely to recognize the opportunities when they present themselves. Either way, clarity is when the magic happens.

Let me know if I can help you in your career success in 2010 and beyond! Here are some New Year packages I put together to help you ‘Get Your Career In Gear For the New Year‘.

As always, I welcome your questions and comments.

Happy New Year!

I’ve been thinking about what would help a lot of you to super charge your career success as we enter an exciting new year! Now, I know that most of you who are reading this blog post have already achieved a great deal of success in your career… and that’s great!

And it’s okay to want to ‘take things to the next level.’ If you want a boost, jump-start, energy-hit, quick success strategy, etc. then take a look at some of these quick-start packages I’ve put together for you to build upon your success and achieve more than you dreamed of in 2010 and beyond:

Live Resume Makeover: This is for anyone who wants to make sure their resume is fresh, compelling, results-driven, and puts your best foot forward. Whether you’re looking for a job (or not), it’s very important to make sure your resume is in tip-top form so you have it when you need it and when your recent successes are fresh in your mind. Click here to find out more.

Job Search Strategy Session: If you’re in a job search or you think you may be in one soon, spend some time with me developing a strategy to ensure you’re spending your precious time and energy as strategically as possible to achieve results quickly. You’ll leave the session with a clear list of next steps.

Career Path Booster: This is for professionals who may be pondering things like: What’s next for me? Why do I feel like I’m spinning my wheels? How can I get ahead at this company? How can I show my manager that I’m serious about carving out a successful career path? How can I enjoy my career more? How can I super charge my career path success? etc.

We’ll spend two sessions together ‘digging deep’ and you’ll emerge with a clear list of what makes you tick (happy) and what makes you unique to employers (or within your own business) and a clear list of next steps to help get you on your way.

I want as many of you as possible to ‘Get Your Career In Gear For the New Year’ so I’m offering some special discounts and bonuses but you must sign-up before Friday, January 29, 2010 (or until my schedule fills up). Investment details are on the site (see links above).

So invest in yourself and super charge your success! Questions? Comments? Let me know!