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Episode 3210:
Tyler Tervooren of Riskology.co shares a transformative insight on achieving personal goals through accountability in "Accountability Keeps Your Goals on Track." He highlights the power of accountability partnerships and the psychological backing that supports this approach, suggesting practical steps to harness this force to ensure success in personal and professional aspirations.
Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.riskology.co/accountability-hack/
Quotes to ponder:
"Accountability forces you to set smart goals and stick to them."
"You’ll tell the truth more often if you think lying will be uncovered. And that’s exactly the accountability you need to stick to your most difficult goals."
"If there’s a new goal or habit you’re trying to dedicate yourself to, you can keep yourself on track by setting up your own accountability measures."
Episode references:
Bogus Pipeline (SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY): https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/social-psychology-research-methods/bogus-pipeline/
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[00:00:00] This is Optimal Living Daily, episode 3210
[00:00:04] Accountability keeps your goals on track by Tyler Tavorin of Riskology.co
[00:00:10] And I'm your narrator Justin Malik reading you articles every day of the year covering happiness, productivity,
[00:00:17] inspiration, motivation, minimalism, all that good stuff. Our daily dose of positivity to start or end the day on the right foot.
[00:00:25] And without further ado, let's take our next step as we optimize your life.
[00:00:34] Accountability keeps your goals on track by Tyler Tavorin of Riskology.co
[00:00:41] The Gist
[00:00:42] You'll tell the truth more often if you think lying will be uncovered and that's exactly the accountability
[00:00:49] you need to stick to your most difficult goals.
[00:00:53] When I started my business, I had a procrastination problem.
[00:00:57] I'd convinced myself that waking up at 9 o'clock and starting work at 11 o'clock would be fine.
[00:01:02] It didn't take long to realize that it wouldn't be fine at all. I was accomplishing nothing.
[00:01:08] So I committed to a fix, waking up at 6 o'clock and getting straight to work.
[00:01:14] Then for months, I continued to wake up at 9 o'clock and putz around until 11 o'clock, just like before.
[00:01:21] During this time, I remember taking a survey asking me about my daily habits.
[00:01:26] I reported that I was an early riser who woke up at 6 o'clock or earlier every day.
[00:01:32] I guess that was an aspirational answer.
[00:01:35] This pattern continued a few more months until a friend mentioned he had the same problem and suggested becoming
[00:01:42] accountability partners. The plan was simple. We meet each other on Skype by 6 o'clock each morning,
[00:01:48] lay out our plan for the day, and then get some important work done immediately after the call before eating,
[00:01:55] showering, or letting other distractions get in the way. It worked brilliantly.
[00:02:00] Suddenly, I was accountable to someone who could call me out. If I wasn't there on time, it was obvious what happened.
[00:02:07] I'd slept in. In a completely duh kind of moment,
[00:02:11] there's now research proving a bit of accountability will take you a very long way towards actually
[00:02:18] accomplishing the goals you say are important to you.
[00:02:21] Research tells us that a simple accountability trick like this can be the difference between success and failure
[00:02:28] for your most difficult habits and goals.
[00:02:32] Accountability forces you to set smart goals and stick to them.
[00:02:37] If you've ever tried to create a new habit with a friend or group, you already know this.
[00:02:43] Having someone to hold you accountable makes your chances of success
[00:02:47] skyrocket. It's why programs like Weight Watchers work. The question is, why does it work?
[00:02:54] There's a psychological study with the answer.
[00:02:57] Three researchers set out to learn how to get people taking surveys to be truthful with their answers.
[00:03:02] When researchers ask people to answer sensitive questions like, how often do you exercise? Are you a smoker? Do you have an STD?
[00:03:11] People tend to fib even if they know their answers are anonymous.
[00:03:15] The desire to be seen as socially acceptable is so strong that you're apt to lie about delicate questions
[00:03:21] even if no one will find out.
[00:03:24] That's true even if it means reinforcing a bad habit that hinders your progress on important goals.
[00:03:30] But what if someone would find out?
[00:03:32] This is what the research tested and they did it with what's called a bogus pipeline experiment.
[00:03:38] That's an experiment where the subjects are connected to a fake polygraph test to coerce them to answer questions truthfully.
[00:03:46] One question they tested was, how often do you exercise?
[00:03:51] Most participants gave a standard answer, they exercised a normal amount each week.
[00:03:55] But one batch of answers came back lower. They admitted they exercised less than normal.
[00:04:02] You might think that was completely random, but it wasn't. You can guess which group was more honest.
[00:04:09] Thinking they'd be found out if they lied? The group using the fake polygraph test told the truth.
[00:04:16] Keeping goals on track.
[00:04:18] Everyone lies occasionally, especially to make themselves look or feel better.
[00:04:23] But the research tells us if you think you'll be caught, you're far more likely to be honest.
[00:04:28] How can you use that knowledge to keep your goals on track?
[00:04:32] The same way I used it to keep myself on the straight and narrow for my six o'clock wake-up call.
[00:04:36] I knew if I didn't actually get up on time, there'd be no way to make an excuse.
[00:04:42] I'd be found out by the person who was counting on me to show up.
[00:04:45] Not only that, but I knew he was counting on me for his success as well.
[00:04:51] Lying wouldn't just hurt me, it would hurt him too.
[00:04:55] Since I knew I'd be found out and there was no way to rationalize my way out of taking action towards my goal,
[00:05:01] I rubbed my eyes every morning when the alarm went off and got up
[00:05:05] because I didn't want anyone to know I'd failed to meet my goal and I didn't want to let my friend down.
[00:05:11] If I hadn't had that bit of accountability to keep me motivated,
[00:05:15] it would have been a lot easier to hit snooze, close my eyes and tell myself,
[00:05:19] I will just start tomorrow, day after day after day.
[00:05:24] Do this in the next 10 minutes.
[00:05:27] If there's a new goal or habit you're trying to dedicate yourself to, you can keep yourself on track by setting up your own accountability measures.
[00:05:36] Number one, find someone to check in with every day who will know if you're telling the truth or not.
[00:05:41] It could be someone from work or a friend with a similar goal.
[00:05:45] Number two, tell your friends and family about your goal. Sharing your plans with an audience increases the feeling of responsibility
[00:05:52] to complete the goal and having the regular support and check-ins that follows will remind you of the work
[00:05:58] you need to do to finish on time.
[00:06:01] And number three, focus on goals that are more internally motivating.
[00:06:06] After all, the easiest habits to build are the ones you don't care if anyone else know about. You just listen to the post titled
[00:06:18] Accountability keeps your goals on track by Tyler Tavoran of Riskology.co and I'll be right back with my commentary.
[00:06:26] Thank you to Tyler. It's super simple, but it is proven to work.
[00:06:31] If you can find someone to hold you accountable, chances are you'll do it or at least more often than without accountability.
[00:06:39] If you're wondering how to find someone,
[00:06:41] Facebook groups are good for that. You can search for Optimal Living Daily on Facebook and join our group.
[00:06:47] I would imagine you can find someone who's trying to build a similar habit that you can check in with.
[00:06:52] Another option is actually putting money on the line.
[00:06:56] This is along the same lines of accountability because it does require another person.
[00:07:00] Basically, what you do is dedicate a certain amount of money for every time you miss your plan or goal.
[00:07:07] So let's say you want to exercise on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
[00:07:11] You can say that if you miss one of those days, you'll pay $20.
[00:07:16] But not only do you pay it, it gets donated to your least favorite organization.
[00:07:21] And the person who keeps you accountable simply checks in and then collects your money when you don't follow through.
[00:07:27] I'm pretty sure you'll exercise on those days more often than not.
[00:07:31] So that's another one you can try that doesn't require someone else being on the exact same page as you, but just checking in regularly.
[00:07:38] In either case, try to find that accountability.
[00:07:41] Have a great rest of your day and I'll see you tomorrow where optimal life awaits.