Do you procrastinate on sending pitches or struggle to stick to your writing goals? Maybe you meet your deadlines but can’t seem to find time to market your services or get some much-needed fresh air during the week.
Like many freelancers, you may benefit from an accountability partner — someone who helps you commit to your goals while you help them commit to theirs. Or, you may prefer some tool, whether a higher-tech virtual coworking platform or an old-fashioned spreadsheet. At several Lunch and Learns over the years, AHCJ freelance members have shared the various ways they meet the expectations of their bosses — i.e., themselves. Here’s what they’ve said can work.
Find an accountability partner
An accountability partnership can pretty much mean whatever the pair wants it to — so long as the setup is mutually beneficial and both parties take it equally seriously.
Two AHCJ members who were accountability partners for a stretch said they scheduled a recurring 30- to 60-minute phone call at 5:30 p.m. one Monday each month. They’d talk about assignments (or editors) they were struggling with, workshop pitch ideas and voice whatever they’d like to accomplish before their next call. They might also talk about the logistics (and emotions) of running a freelance business, like how to get paid on time or how long to wait before following up with an editor.
Importantly, the pair said, their chats were about more than venting. And, while the two are friends, they were clear that these particular calls remained on topic (no complaining about their kids or chatting about upcoming travel, for example).
When seeking an accountability partner, chemistry and availability are important. Check out this post for more tips on how to find your match.
Try body doubling
Other participants said accountability partners have helped them stay focused in real-time using a technique called body doubling, or working silently alongside someone else — often virtually — to keep motivated. Especially in those cases, accountability partners don’t even necessarily have to be in the same line of work.
Several platforms offer ways to do this virtually, including:
Depending on the site, you may be able to chat (either vocally or via messaging) about goals, tick off accomplishments as you go and/or add ambient sounds, like those reminiscent of a coffee shop.
Capitalize on social media
One freelancer, who tends to work late into the night, set up a Facebook group including friends and fellow writers, some of whom are also night owls. Then, before a big night of work, she posts in the group what she plans to accomplish. She said a group, rather than a single person, works well for accountability since “I don’t know if I could find someone with my unique needs.”
Organize an ‘editorial meeting’
One AHCJ member said she’s in a writers’ group that meets virtually every Monday at noon for a session that’s reminiscent of newsroom editorial meetings. Each attendee takes a few minutes to share what they accomplished the prior week, what they struggled with and what their goals are for the week ahead.
“I used to be a staff reporter, and I find freelancing very isolating,” she said. “I miss talking about stories and just seeing people instead of just trying to read and pitch and come up with ideas and spending most of my time alone.” The weekly meetup helps to fill that void.
Set an alarm
Some freelancers keep accountability simple by, for example, starting a stopwatch when they begin a certain project to mimic “clocking in” to a job. The technique has the added bonus of revealing how much time they spend on any one task, which can later allow them to calculate the assignment’s hourly rate. If stories for certain publications take a lot of time for a little money, for example, they may reevaluate that relationship.
Another freelancer uses an alarm to remind her to take breaks, which is also crucial for your mental health and longevity in the field.
Know what works for you
Not everyone wants or needs an accountability partner or technology. I, for one, find that being a part of a physical coworking space brings accountability via osmosis — seeing people hustling makes me want to hustle, too.
Other than that, I don’t want formal accountability. One of the things I love about freelancing is not having people check in on me. I’m also what Gretchen Rubin calls a “rebel” in her “four tendencies” framework. Essentially, I resist both internal and external expectations and do best when I can accomplish things in my own time and way.
However, people who are “obligers” — the most common “tendency,” according to Rubin — need outer accountability to meet internal expectations. For them, an accountability partner or platform could make all the difference.
You can find out which tendency you are by taking Rubin’s free quiz here.
