I mentioned on Friday that I was a bit terrified at the idea of going to the Boot Camp Conditioning class on Saturday morning. Well, this feeling stuck with me right through the start of class. Here’s a little snap shot of my self-talk on Saturday morning.

I’m not in that great of shape. What was I thinking when I said I would do this? It’s going to be hard. I’m going to look foolish because I don’t know what goes on in this class. What kinds of exercises do they do? What if I can’t do it? I won’t be able to keep up. I wish I hadn’t blogged about this…because then I wouldn’t go.

Does any of this sound familiar? Isn’t it interesting how we crave change and yet at the same time there’s that little voice that urges us to stay right where we are in our comfort zone? That’s where the power of accountability comes in. See, the real reason I went to Boot Camp on Saturday morning is because I told everyone who reads this blog that I was going to do so. I was accountable to all of you, and that gave me the extra incentive to tell the little voice in my head to hush—I am going to boot camp whether you like it or not! So what if I have to go at my own pace—everyone else there had their first class, too. It’s okay if I’m not where they are. I’ll figure it out, and I will be okay.

Keep the power of accountability in mind the next time you crave change. Whether your goal is to get more organized or to make some other healthy change in your life, in the beginning it is going to feel uncomfortable. You may not know what to expect, like I didn’t know what to expect in Boot Camp. Or you may anticipate things about the process that are going to be uncomfortable, and that little voice in your head doesn’t want that for you. She wants things to stay the same. She wants you to spend your Saturday morning reading a magazine and watching your daughter exercise instead of exercising yourself—just as you’ve done every other Saturday. Likewise, that little voice wants you to ignore the clutter a day longer, because really, it’s quite comfortable here in front of the computer, or sitting on the couch reading a book. You know that voice, right?

If you want something different, you have to find a way to silence that little voice or get her to change her message to one that supports you as you make change. Sure, she’ll chime in with her old messages from time to time, but when you decide what you want, and then, hold yourself accountable to someone other than yourself, you take away some of the power of that little voice. I see this all the time with my one-on-one coaching, in my online workshops, and here with Finish it Friday. Accountability helps us create change.

If you haven’t tapped into the power of accountability, why not give Finish It Friday a try next week? You just may find yourself in boot camp…or tackling that room in your home that really needs an organizing intervention…or taking care of some other nagging task that’s been lingering on your to-do list for far too long…or who knows what you’ll take on! It’d be fun to see though, wouldn’t it?

Okay…on to the weekly check-in.

Play List

    • Decorate 3-ring binders. (I did one…which is progress!)
    • Go to a Boot Camp Conditioning class. (Check! And yes, I do feel it still. I have become reacquainted with some muscles I didn’t know I had!)
    • Relax and hangout with my family. (Check!)

To Finish

  • Start and finish cleaning the house. (I’ll give myself a small check here. The house is cleaner than it was on Friday.)
  • Finish laundry. (Check!)
  • Finish prep work necessary to drop off paperwork for our biz tax return. (My part of this project is as far as it can go for now. I will finish up the rest today.)
  • Finish office decluttering / organizing project. (Made progress. I sorted the papers in one of three binders that just need to be gone through and updated. Will keep working on this! Again, glad for the power of accountability.)
  • Collect some items for a charity pickup next week. (I have some items set aside but plan to do another sweep-through before the pick up on Wednesday.)
  • Get birthday party gift. (Check!)

Alright, it’s your turn! How did you do with your lists this weekend? Thanks so much for sharing. Enjoy your Monday!