Power of The Posse
I have three accountability partners who I check in with on a regular basis. Some monthly, some weekly, and with some of them, we may go months without speaking. None of us live in the same state. I’ve always had long-distance friendships and I find it especially rewarding when I call up one of my accountability partners and they are speaking my language—we don’t necessarily have to go through the pleasantries of “What’s new?” But can get right to the juice of what makes us tick.
It’s in these conversations (not necessarily about business) that I get the most traction. I come away inspired, enlivened, and ready to take action. My accountability partners and the Yogahealer community are the ones I reach out to when I’m stuck because I know you(the Yogahealer community) won’t just pat me on the head and say “Good job.” You will ask me the important questions to help me get back on track or maybe point me in a new direction. You will listen objectively.
My husband, family, and friends are all very supportive of the growth I’m experiencing in becoming a Certified Yoga Health Coach and starting my own business from scratch, but there’s something remarkably precious about the friends and partners I’ve created in this Yoga Health Coaching course.
Not only is our friendship made out of our shared desire for deep conversation beyond the blah, blah, blah and into uncharted territory of wellbeing; it’s also forged with the underlying principles of continual transformation as the basis for our work. What I mean is that we don’t expect each other to stay the same. When I get on the phone with Grace one week and then again three weeks later, I don’t expect to hear the same story out of her mouth—in fact I’m thrilled when we are able to celebrate our growth.
“Hi Shinay” Grace answers the phone.
“Hi!” I blurt out enthusiastically. And my whole body relaxes because I know that this person won’t judge me. “I’m really having a hard time right now. I’m stuck, again. I can’t seem to get people to sign up for a strategy session with me, and I really need to start making money and I feel desperate and I don’t want to feel desperate because I don’t want to be needy because it’s creepy and I feel needy—”
Grace cuts me off (thank God!) “What’s your energy around money?”
“Uhh…. I’m in a process of examining that very thing…” I trail off.
“You seem like you don’t spend money easily, is that true?” Grace probes.
“You’re right, I don’t,” I’m a tight wad, I think to myself, and my back hurts, and I’m stressed out, and I need to make money, and shit, she’s onto me.
“What should I do Grace?” I really want change around this part of myself. I really want to not be so concerned with money because I know in my brain that money is energy, and money is flow, but in my life, in actuality, I seem to be stuck somewhere.
“It seems to me that your hand is closed very tightly into a fist (around money). My hand used to be open but flat so that I couldn’t hold anything. Create your hand like a scoop for money. Stay open, pierce the blockage that you have around money, and shift your mindset.”
Simple. Not easy.
So, I’m in the process of shifting my mindset around money. I continue to catch myself in moments of scarcity and visualize my hand scooping not gripping.
And I am still in the process. It all takes time. I’ve adopted the KAIZEN approach to everything in my life, especially my grip around money. In moments when I feel tight, I remember that “this is not a race,” and relax my whole body. It’s helping, and I’m not finished with this work.
Thank you Grace!
Growth is sometimes small and sometimes massive. There is a unique bond that we share as a community of Yoga Health Coaches—one of our shared values reflects this—“Raise our own bar, align our actions, and own our results.” The status quo says, “Don’t change.” Around here, we value development as a way of life. In fact we design our lives to be reflections of the natural cycles and changes so clearly seen in nature.
These are the most important things I’ve learned from having an accountability partner:
#1. Schedule Integrity
#2. The Cutting Edge of What’s Possible
#3. I’m not alone!
#1. Schedule Integrity: Every week or once a month or twice a year I have my accountability partner’s name highlighted in my calendar for a 60-minute time chunk. Yes, they are worth that much time! And when that appointment comes, often we get right to the meat of our work in the world yet other times we just talk about our husbands, dogs, children, or what we’re making for lunch.
#2. The Cutting Edge of What’s Possible: Simply sharing where I’m at in the process of life, business, and combining the two, revitalizes my intention and helps me take action in the right direction.
It almost doesn’t matter what we talk about because our relationship is much more than just social niceties, it’s a conversation with evolution at the forefront. Those meeting times elevate my soul. The best part about this is that most of my accountability partners I just met last year! We inspire and enliven each other to take action.
#3. I’m not alone! I forget so easily. Often I feel like I’m floating all alone in the world trying to come up with names for my business, taglines, marketing schemes, and the best ways to offer what I have to offer in this world.
- Choose a partner who has qualities that impress, scare, excite, intrigue, intimidate you. Adopt an attitude of “leaning in”—connect on the edge of what’s possible. Aim to be useful to one another, not merely congratulatory.
- Call, text, or post a message on Facebook.
- Set a few ground rules such as time, day, and topic of conversation.
- Then schedule a 15 minute phone conversation twice a month, at the ever least.
Commit to learning from one another, this will be a bond of growth, not of staying the same.
Congratulations on taking the next step toward your future self.
Best,
Shinay
