Here we are at the office of accountability and planning.
I've been making this joke about myself for months now.
Why? Well, because for so long I've really neglected what that means for me.
It always felt so far out of how I organized myself.
And ironically, it's something that I've become quite good at doing for others.
It's funny how things that exist squarely within our own zone of genius are sometimes not applicable to our own challenges.
Why is that? Who knows. Honestly it could be any number of reasons.
One that I've found popping up a lot lately is accountability; or should I say a lack of accountability that is often the culprit.
This idea surfaces a lot when I'm working with Ground Control clients. I work with a few entrepreneurs, solopreneurs and people who are just off on their own journey and they find themselves without the peer-network necessary to find that accountability partner.
At some point your friends won't understand the problems anymore.
Your husband, wife or partner will no longer be an appropriate sounding board for all of your dilemmas.
Your employees are just that, employees. And while some are indispensable to your business they just aren't on that level.
Which often results in getting stuck in the same backwaters; the same ruts of vision and progress.
Mired.
I think one of the things that I find the most interesting when I end up in these conversations is that many people can recognize this challenge.
But very few have any idea of what to do about it.
The Accountability Paradox
Here's what I've noticed:
The people who need accountability the most are often the ones least likely to seek it out.
It's like we've convinced ourselves that needing someone else makes us somehow less.
Less capable.
Less driven.
Less founder-y.
But that's backwards.
The most successful people? They've built accountability in. They've made it non-negotiable.
Like oxygen.
The Solo Founder Trap
When you're going it alone, Whether for the first time Or the fifth, There's this myth that haunts you:
"I should be able to do this myself."
It whispers when you're stuck. It shouts when you miss deadlines. It mocks when you drift off course.
And it's a complete lie.
No one does this alone. No one.
Even the "solo" founders you admire? They have people. People who ask the hard questions. People who check in. People who won't let them hide.
Finding Your Accountability
So what do you actually do about this?
First, admit you need it. That's not weakness - it's wisdom.
Then, look for it in three places:
- Paid Relationships Coaches, consultants, advisors. People with skin in your game. People who you're paying specifically To keep you moving forward.
- Peer Relationships Mastermind groups, founder circles, industry peers. People who understand your challenges. People who speak your language. People who can call your BS.
- Process Relationships Systems, structures, regular check-ins. Things that don't care about your feelings. Things that don't accept your excuses. Things that create consistency.
The Hard Truth
Here's what nobody tells you:
Accountability only works when it's uncomfortable.
If it always feels good? It's not working.
If it never pushes you? It's not working.
If it lets you off the hook? It's not working.
The best accountability makes you squirm. It makes you face what you've been avoiding. It makes you do what you've been postponing.
And that's exactly why we resist it.
Why This Matters Now
I'm seeing this play out more and more, especially with:
- First-time founders who are brilliant at their craft but new to building a business around it
- Serial entrepreneurs going solo after having teams in previous ventures
- Experts transitioning from corporate to consultant who suddenly have no structure
They all face the same void. They all need the same thing. They all resist it in the same ways.
My Confession
And look, I'm right there with you.
Despite knowing better, despite helping others find it, despite seeing what happens without it, I've resisted my own medicine.
But that's changing. For me. For my clients. For anyone ready to stop pretending they can do it all alone.
Because the office of accountability and planning? It's where the real work happens. It's where vision becomes reality. It's where potential becomes progress. [cue The Office theme]
Until next time.
This is Ground Control.
- Patrick
