We’ve all heard the benefits of having an Accountability Partner to share ideas with and to challenge us as we grow in our copywriting. Well, when I left the 2013 B2B Copywriting Intensive, I had three Accountability Partners! And the four of us continue to support each other as we grow our B2B writing careers.
So all should be good, right? Well, I soon realized I needed strong support from another perspective. I needed an Accountability Partner in my current 8-to-5 job. You see, I’m just starting my copywriting career. I still have a full-time job demanding my time and attention. And I’m really challenged by balancing those two worlds.
Why an Accountability Partner for my 8-to-5 job?
Do you find yourself spending too much time on your current job? You know, above and beyond reasonable expectations? There are countless reasons why this happens: you travel for your job, you’re the go-to person, you’re a bit of a perfectionist, or the demands of the job simply eat up your time.
I’m currently a teacher, and before that, I spent several years working in the Information Technology field. Throughout my professional life, I’ve struggled with some combination of the above reasons when it came to balancing my time. This year, I decided to start the transition into copywriting. But I had to solve the time problem to make it work.
As the start of this school year approached, I was still stymied by the problem. What was I going to do differently this year to balance my time so I could finally begin my transition to the writer’s life? Well, one evening after the weekly phone session with my copywriting accountability group, a simple idea emerged … why not an Accountability Partner for my current job?
I realized I needed someone to hold me accountable for the amount of time I was spending on my job. Another educator, who understood the demands of the job and would periodically stop by my door and knowingly ask how things were going. A colleague I could go to when I felt my old ways slipping back into control. And, someone I could go to when I successfully limited my time for the week … or even for the day!
Who to select as an 8-to-5 Accountability Partner
I had very specific criteria in mind for my “work” Accountability Partner. I needed someone who:
- would take the role seriously
- would truly expect change on my part
- demonstrated a balanced lifestyle
- I could truly go to for ideas of what I needed to change to bring about my own sense of time balance
- I could trust with my future plans … who’d respect them and understand the importance they held for me
- would continue to support the time I put into copywriting even when the demands of my current job increased
It didn’t take me very long to choose which of my coworkers I wanted to ask to take on this role.
My 8-to-5 Accountability Partner doesn’t fully understand what copywriting is. She knows I am writing for businesses. She doesn’t need to know my daily copywriting schedule or career goals. And she doesn’t need to know my copywriting failures or successes. I have my copywriting accountability group for that. But, she does know I would like to leave teaching in a few years to do this full-time.
And, she does need to know that I’m passionate about changing my life and how I spend my time. She needs to witness, encourage, and even demand I make the changes that will allow this to happen. And she is there for me in that capacity!
When and how to use your 8-to-5 Accountability Partner’s support
I’ve used my 8-to-5 Accountability Partner’s support on countless occasions! Sometimes we discuss challenges specific to the job. It might be how to handle a new district initiative without letting it consume too much of my time. It might be how to manage tasks assigned to my team and make sure I don’t take on too much of the responsibility. Or it might be something as basic as maintaining quality while trimming the time needed to prepare my daily lessons.
My Accountability Partner encourages me to try basic productivity measures to decrease the time I spend on my 8-to-5 job. She reminds me to set time deadlines … and hold to them. She encourages me to be in the moment so I stay focused and complete my tasks more efficiently. And she challenges me to say “no” rather than taking on another task that will demand more of my time.
She also reminds me of those basic adages we hear over and over, but sometimes struggle to live. Basic truths like:
- Take care of yourself to take care of others
- Trust yourself; you know what you’re doing
- Walk away so you can come back refreshed and feeling whole
- Break larger projects down and set mini-deadlines to get them done
Nothing new, right? But they’re real and immediate when coming from my 8-to-5 Accountability Partner.
Sound like a huge time commitment? It isn’t. I’ve asked my 8-to-5 Accountability Partner if we could meet on just two occasions. The first time was to ask her to take on the role. The second time was when I felt my old habits regaining too much hold. Otherwise, we’ve simply touched base at work. She might stop by my room during a free moment, or we might chat on the way to a meeting or pass in the hall at the end of the day.
Having an 8-to-5 Accountability Partner has made a definite difference in the amount of time I’m spending on my current job. Everything isn’t fully under control. I still need to trim the amount of time I spend on the job and on work I bring home. And I must follow a consistent schedule dedicated to my copywriting. But I’m making progress!
Ultimately, my copywriting accountability group pulls me toward my copywriting goals. But it’s my 8-to-5 Accountability Partner that helps me keep that forward momentum going by curbing the time I put into my current job! Having copywriting AND 8-to-5 Accountability Partners finally provides me with the support I need to balance my two professional worlds.
