Find an accountability coach

     Two reasons people don't achieve their vision are that they get off track or they just don't take action. Many distractions will get in the way of starting and staying the course toward your vision. It is not unusual to have a hard time sticking with something over the long haul. If this is so, you might benefit from connecting with someone who will hold you accountable for making progress toward your dream.

     After you create your vision, find someone who will check-in with you on a regular basis to monitor the progress of your vision journey. This will help keep your dreams in the forefront of your thoughts. Knowing you are accountable to someone about your dream can create "a little voice in your head." This is the little voice of your own commitment, insisting that you will make progress toward your vision.

     This person can be a friend, colleague, spouse, or family member. If you can't find someone of this nature, consider hiring an "accountability coach." This can be a licensed professional counselor, a life coach, or some other human service professional.

     In any case, it is important that your accountability coach be someone you can trust to hold your vision with care, concern, and support. Your accountability coach can help you make plans, be a sounding board for your concerns, make sure you do what you say you are going to do, and offer motivation to keep you going.

     I asked a friend to be my accountability coach in writing my book, Everyday Visionary. We talked about what progress I wanted to make on the book, and he checked in with me regularly to see that I had accomplished what I said I would do. This commitment to my friend about what I was going to do became a "little voice in my head" that kept me on track toward my vision.

     Before I went on a summer vacation, we talked about what my intention was for writing while gone. I committed to writing seven to ten paragraphs. This was my goal, even though for most people being on vacation is not a time to write paragraphs for a book. I decided to do it because writing words for my book seemed fun and was something I wanted to do.

     While on vacation, I felt some tension between wanting to fulfill my commitment and wanting to do some other activities. Almost daily, I heard a "little voice" in my head that reminded me of my intention. When I heard it, I paid attention to it, but I did not become stressed that I was not making progress. I had planned to spend a little time every morning to write, but the writing never seemed to happen.

     My intention to write engaged a "little voice" in my head that kept me aware of opportunities. As it happened, the opportunity to write several paragraphs showed up, but not in the way I had anticipated.

     At the end of our vacation, my wife, daughter, and I had the flexibility to do as we wanted with the remaining days before going back home to our normal routine. We had no pre-determined plans, other than to be back home by the end of the month. As we considered how to spend the rest of our vacation, the "little voice" provided me some guidance. We decided to come home several days early from traveling and spend the time at home, but still be on vacation.

     This was the opportunity I needed to fulfill my intention. I completed my goal on the last day of our vacation! I would have never imagined my intention would have manifested this way.

     The "little voice" is something good that happens when you create a vision. Making a commitment to do something further engages the little voice in your head, which is designed to keep you on track toward the direction that you set.

     Sharing your vision with someone you trust is a way to make conscious the unconscious. When your vision is conscious, it will more easily engage the "little voice" of your intention. This is another way to make you aware of opportunities that will bring your vision to fruition.

     If you can't find someone to be your accountability coach, consider an eCoach.