Support systems. That’s a craving most of us have.
Think about it. You probably have many things you do…with other people. Without other people being in the picture, you find it almost impossible to do those things.
For example, think about going to the gym. If you have an accountability partner, you will find it easy to hit the gym when he/she calls you and says, “It’s gym time”. How about those monthly recap sessions; would you still do them if you were alone? Most of us wouldn’t.
Even if you don’t have an official accountability partner, you probably have someone in your mind that makes you do the things you do. That someone can be a friend, a family member, a competitor or someone you aspire to level up to. It may not be official, but subconsciously you may be doing the things you do because of them.
And this brings about a problem: your progress is ultimately determined by their pace.
If your gym partner doesn’t call to remind you it’s gym time, you probably won’t go to the gym. If your unofficial accountability partner slacks at his/her progress, you also slack in your progress. Your progress is tied to your official or unofficial accountability partner.
Having an accountability partner can be great. A great partner will keep you on your toes by ensuring you do the things that need to be done, when they need to be done. Unfortunately, accountability partners are humans. And they often fail. They may be successful at what they are doing, but fail at keeping you accountable.
For example, you may have a partner that is successful in business but falls way short when it comes to the discipline of hitting the gym. And no, it doesn’t have to be the gym only. It can be anything that you want to start or commit to doing.
The Antisocial Loner
Majority of people think that doing things alone makes other people think they are anti-social. In a study published by Rebecca Ratner, a professor of marketing at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, some people think doing things alone won’t be as much fun as doing it with others. This is probably why you may hear people saying, “There’s no way I can go on that hiking trip alone”. It’s an innate thing to want to do things with others.
What most people don’t understand is that going it alone can in fact be more valuable than doing things with others. There is a simple explanation for this: you are different. You may want to go on a trip to Burma but not everyone will be enthusiastic about the trip like you. You may want to start a side muse but your friends may be comfortable with their 9 to 5s.
Our differences should make you take charge of your life. Take charge of your actions and the direction you want to go.
In my journey as an online entrepreneur, I have come to slowly realize the benefits of going it alone. Perhaps the most important benefit is you make progress.
One of the reasons why most people do not make any progress with the projects they may have in mind is due to relying on ‘direction’ from others. You may be waiting for direction from an accountability partner, that blogger with the Amazon niche site case study that is occasionally updated, that partner that always has something going on when it’s time to hit the gym, etc. When you rely on these third parties to determine the next step to take, your progress will be capped or come to a halt.
Your progress will depend on the partner’s willingness to commit to whatever he is doing. You are at his mercy. If he fails, you fail.
Go Alone…Go Faster…Go Further
The only way to ensure you progress is to go it alone. Yes, you can have an accountability partner, but your progress will be based on his/her progress. The partner may make you do things too fast or too slow, which may not work for your situation. You need to go at your own pace and keep going.
[bctt tweet=”Going it alone is tough. If it was easy, everyone would do it. ” username=”modekali”]
People find comfort in support groups.
But you have to do the hard things.
When you go alone, you get disciplined. When you finally know that the results you will get from a project or endeavor are solely based on your actions, you will work on your project. You will not wait for someone else to nudge you with a weekly accountability call or gym time reminder to do what you are supposed to. You take charge of the tasks that have to be done.
The going can get extremely boring and discouraging when doing things alone. But can also be extremely fulfilling. Whichever way your going will be, one thing will be for sure; you will be making progress. And ultimately, the results of compounding actions will be evident over time.
Getting started with projects on your own can be a daunting thought. However, it gets easier over time. The hardest days are usually the initial stages when you have to start. But as soon as you start, things start flowing. You get into “project mode” without thinking twice. And with time, you start seeing progress that will make you wonder why you needed an accountability partner, whether real or imagined, in the first place.
If there is something you have been postponing to do because the time “isn’t right yet” or because you are waiting for approval or a go-ahead from a partner, it’s time to go it alone. Take the first step and start that project. Start doing things you have always wanted to do, whether recreational, educational or career-wise. You will be surprised at how far you can go when you go alone and move at your own pace.
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their death beds
There are 6 more months remaining to the end of the year. I can feel some tings of cold feet setting in on some of the goals. That part of the brain that tells me I cannot do it seems to be getting stronger every day.
