Be virtually accountable

How to make sure you do the work

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is to be virtually accountable. Zoom and other video
conferencing programs have uses well beyond meetings. Sometimes no one

(00:28):
even needs to talk to make it easier to do
the right thing. So a few weeks ago, I got
an email from my friend kJ Dellantonia that she was
hosting Zoom writing hours. The idea was that at the
appointed time, people could click on her link and join

(00:48):
a virtual group of writers. People would turn their cameras on,
but they're sound off. The session would go for about
two hours, and during that time people would feel more
accountable to working on their writing projects because other people
were watching, they wouldn't be jumping up to do other

(01:09):
things or watching videos on their phones. I decided to
give these Zoom Writing Hours a whirl for two days
in a row. I gave myself specific assignments for the hours.
On day one, I was going to go through an
old novel manuscript and write up a chapter outline. Here

(01:33):
is what happens in each chapter. This would help with
the revision process. On day two, I would write the
flap copy for the book. That is, the short description
of the central premise and tension of the novel that
might go on the book jacket. I am happy to

(01:53):
report that it worked. I finished those two short projects,
and it's not that I couldn't have done them on
my own if I had time for zoom writing hours.
I clearly had time in general, but having a group
of other people all working on stuff helped set the tone.

(02:15):
I hadn't worked on that novel in three years, but
in two days I made some serious progress on this
speculative project. It turns out that lots of folks host
similar accountability groups. I saw a time log recently where
a woman was up early every weekday morning to write.

(02:37):
On her log. She put writing and then a word,
which I later learned was the name of her group.
These writers all got up to write first thing. Rather
than be lonely at five am, they turned on their
cameras and held each other accountable for showing up. Now, obviously,

(02:58):
accountability group aren't new. I am sure many people listening
to this episode are already part of one, but old
school accountability groups often required being in the same place.
Accountability partnerships tend to be built around check ins. They
don't often involve the hours of actually doing the work,

(03:22):
but they absolutely can. They can also involve people from wherever.
If you feel more accountable when you have a set
time for something and other people are doing it too,
then see if you can host some zoom accountability hours.

(03:42):
You and a colleague could turn on your cameras and
both work on projects that you need to get done.
You and your fellow artists all turn on your cameras
in your studios and keep going for a few hours.
Students could have homework buddies. Now, of course, there could
be a social element to this too. There is nothing

(04:04):
wrong with saying hello at the beginning, or midpoint or end.
Knowing a little bit about the other people helps with accountability.
But for the same reason that some folks run a
little faster on the treadmills at the gym, we often
work a little harder when we know people are watching.
Why not use that truth to your advantage in the meantime.

(04:31):
This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making
the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to
hear from you. You can send me your tips, your
questions or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook,

(04:53):
and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b E the
number four than breakfast p o D. You can also
shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia
dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all
the letters. Thanks so much, should I look forward to
staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio.

(05:21):
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