How to Stay Accountable in a Home Office Environment

"If the day ended and it was a GREAT day and I only got 1 thing done, what would that 1 thing have been?" This is the question I start my day on most days. It is helpful because it forces me to: 1 - Slow down and index all my messages looking for stimulus 2 - Envision the end of my day being awesome, it's now visualized in my minds eye 3 - Singularly focus - 1 thing, not 2 or 5, what is the one thing that if it got done would make today great, you make a priority instead of priorities 4 - Be reined in when I am working on something that isn't that thing and time is running out 5 - Prevents me from being overwhelmed, sure new things can come up, but I evaluate my day by that 1 thing, not all the things I could have done the one thing I promised myself I would do. (note: it is critical to evaluate all the things you could have done early) 6 - Recursively evaluate my day, if it didn't get done, just this one thing...what did I allow to happen to make that happen, and should I have allowed that to happen (sometimes that answer is yes, but often times, it's no. This reflection allows me to truly ask myself...what is it about your daily routine that caused you to lose discipline? 7 - To ask myself the question, what is the highest leveraged activity I can do to help my company TODAY. If everything else stayed the same, what is the one activity I could do to move this company forward that would have the biggest impact 8 - You finish early, move on to number 2. I also have an accountability partner that I verbalize this to, who sits next to me in the office and they help ask me at times, how's that thing going??

How many times have you walked out of a strategic planning retreat with glossy slide decks, beautiful diagrams, and a poster on the wall, only to find a year later that none of them changed how your company works? I have asked myself that question. The hard truth is that the gap is not in the vision or the strategy itself. The gap is in the daily behaviors that either pull strategy off the wall or let it gather dust. I have created my daily checklist to fill the behaviour gaps and keep myself and team accountable. 1/ Review Critical Objectives First → Skim the key KPIs or OKRs every morning. → Ask, “Are there any imminent red flags or at-risk objectives?” → Flag them for discussion but resist fixing them yourself. 2/ Avoid “Rescuing” Behavior → When someone asks you to solve a problem they own, respond, “What is your plan to address this?” → Offer guidance only if they are genuinely stuck. → Do not take over the task. 3/ Foster Transparency Early → Encourage team members to surface challenges in daily stand-ups or quick syncs. → Begin with, “What risks do we see today?” → Prevent hidden issues from escalating. 4/ Offer Support, Not Orders → In one-on-ones or micro-huddles ask, “What do you need from me or others?” → Provide resources or coaching as needed. → Maintain each person’s ownership of the outcome. 5/ Recognize Small Wins and Efforts → When you see progress or a creative solution, acknowledge it immediately. → Reinforce that accountability also means noting successes, not only misses. 6/ Appeal to Higher Motivations → Remind the team why their work matters. → “This project aligns with our goal to become the Y Combinator of Fintech.” → “You are building skills toward a leadership path.” 7/ Stay Consistent with Consequences → If commitments are missed, remain calm but firm. → “We agreed you would have a plan by today. Let us discuss where you are.” → Document repeated misses to ensure real accountability rather than threats. 8/ Communicate Accountability Publicly → In team chats or shared documents label tasks clearly with owners. → Encourage transparent status updates. → Reduce the need for the you to chase progress. 9/ Check Personal Actions Against the Strategy → At the end of each day ask, “Did I defer any tough decisions out of fear or comfort?” → “Have I stepped in and rescued someone who should own their own problem?” → Correct the course early if patterns recur. 10/ Create a Culture of Asking “Why?” → When tasks arise, examine how they tie back to strategic goals. → If alignment is unclear, pivot or say “no” to avoid scattered effort. I keep this list pinned near my table -- and the more times I follow it -- the more our strategy is actually alive. 💡 I am curious to hear how you keep strategy in motion? Share your daily ritual or best tip below. #accountability #leadership #strategy #execution

I’ve shared these 6 research-backed strategies with several friends wanting to avoid procrastination (at work and home), and they work every time: 1. Create a "Not-To-Do" List Most people focus entirely on what they need to accomplish. But research shows they should be equally focused on what they shouldn't be doing. Write down three things not to do alongside three things to do. If someone needs to clean their garage, their not-to-do list might include: • No Netflix  • Not putzing around in the kitchen  • Don’t check email/social before 10 a.m. Clarity on what to avoid creates mental space to focus on what actually matters. — 2. Make Public Commitments Studies show that public accountability increases follow-through. You can announce your goals on social media or to friends. For example: "I'm cleaning my garage this weekend and posting before/after photos on Monday. If anyone sees me scrolling Facebook, tell me to get back to work!" Public accountability creates just enough social pressure/accountability to push through resistance moments. — 3. Set Up Smart Barriers Shape your environment to make procrastination harder and progress easier. Digital barriers: • Create separate computer users (one for work, one for play) • Uninstall distracting apps from the work profile • Remove social media bookmarks • Install parental controls on their own devices Helpful shortcuts: • Set important apps to open automatically when they start their computer • Remove distracting apps from their phone's home screen • Keep only essential tools easily accessible — 4. Use the 5-Minute Starter Research shows that the hardest part of any task is simply starting. So I trick myself into it. I open the doc and write one sentence. I pull one box out of the garage. Once I start, momentum does the rest. That initial 5 minutes eliminates the mental barrier of "where do I even start?" — 5. Stop at the Peak (Never Finish Sections) Never end work at a natural stopping point. For example, I’m currently writing my next book and I never stop at the end of a section. I stop mid-sentence. The next day, I pick up exactly where I left off. There’s no inertia, no overthinking. (BTW my next book will ALSO start with a “C” can you guess what it will be?!?) — 6. Dream Big (Think Abstract) When bills pile up or clutter builds, it’s easy to stay overwhelmed. So I pause and visualize how I’ll feel after. A clean closet. An empty inbox. That emotional payoff actually helps push me through. These 6 simple shifts make it easier to follow through without relying on willpower.