Where Does It Go?

How in the world did THIS happen? I knew it had “been a while” since I posted to my blog, but 3 MONTHS??? Not good. Back to the basics. Back to writing every day. Back to blogging once a week.

What commitments have you made for this year that you aren’t keeping? The only way to do it is to do it. So I’m doing it. What are you doing to keep your commitments to yourself?

Accountability Partners

Tonight we had our monthly telebridge call for aspiring authors with Dr. Ivan Misner. The topic was accountability. He first asked if anyone on the call had a story they’d been telling for years, but had never written down. 6-7 people piped in with examples, including me.

Then he made us accountable - to him and the entire group - by telling us that we had until a certain date to write the article and send it to him. He asked for agreement, which everyone gave (like who wouldn’t?). Then he said that he will be sending out a list to the entire group (about 70 people around the world) that either says “Here’s their article” or “They didn’t fulfill their commitment”.

You could hear a couple of people on the call gasp.

So what do you think? Is fear of public shaming enough to get me to write the article? Actually my word is good enough, and I don’t need the shaming piece to get the job done.

It will be interesting to see who steps up, and who does not. As my friend Dan Boisclair says, All excuses are equal, pick one, mine’s peanut butter.

My topic? You Can Meet People Everywhere. Ewww….I need a better title. The story is about attending things you might not be happy about but by making yourself go you never know who you might meet. The more exposure you have, the more business you will get. That kind of thing.

If you’d like to be considered as a contributor to my article, post a comment here and tell me either an off-beat place you met someone important to you or how you start conversations with strangers. Or whatever you’d like to say on the topic. Because I have to go now…I have an article to write!

Coaching & the Catholic Guilt Trip

There are many ways to get someone to do something. One that works well on me is a little ride on the Catholic Guilt Trip. Although I no longer attend mass, if asked my religion I answer “I was raised Catholic”. Those who have been on this trip smile & nod. We’re joined in a cultural sort of way.

So yesterday my friend, Sue, who is part of the same author’s coaching telebridge group that I am sent me a story to read and comment upon. She’s going to send it in for possible publication, as the man who is mentoring all 80 of us has requested. He invited submissions two months ago, and last month did a fine job of scolding us - because apparently not one person submitted anything.

Sue is wildly competitive and I’m easily pushed by guilt, so she and I make a good pair. She rose to the occasion by writing up a story she told me, and I stepped up after receiving her piece and wrote one of my own.

So in two weeks when the next call happens I won’t have to feel so guilty, and Sue can feel like she’s won. And we’ll be contributing authors (hopefully) to www.networkingnow.com.

If there’s something you’ve been putting off doing, my suggestion is to find a person to buddy up with who will hold you accountable to what you say. Today’s quote, from Unknown, “Integrity is turning intention into action.”