As we shut the books on January yesterday, we ended the first 31 days of our Accounabilabet. It was also quite the momentous day, because it was the day that Mike realized just how he was going to loose.
Which was, of course, the inspiration behind this particular Facebook update….an update he made whilst seated across the table from yours truly, as I was going into great detail about my plan of action; a plan that can’t fail; a plan designed and destined to beat him.
But, you know, I’m a nice gal and all. I’m not going to leave the dude high and dry….so, I offered to lend him a hand – I mean, not even I like to see someone get their ass handed to them over and over and over (you get the idea). So my value proposition was as such:
What if I build you a monetized blog, with all of the pages and information you need in order to be successful…so that we have an equal playing field?
Of course, the loser-to-be-announced later, enthusiastically agreed.
Which led to THIS status (also made while sitting across the table from the 2016 Networker of the Year):
And, in case you were wondering, the winner for the month of January (drumroll please), the person who generated the most passive and active income…..was me. But hey, good old Mikey still has 11 months to try and catch up.
So, which team are you on? Are you Team Mike or Team Shauna? Who do YOU think will take the prize…and why?
Weigh in by leaving us a comment!
And, of course, if you like this blog, please share it so other people can participate in the first ever Accountabilabet in history.
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It all started as a simple (how did he put it again?)
Mastermind Luncheon at a little place inside of a hustling and bustling
shopping center…a few days before Christmas. Little did I know that this simple
Mastermind Luncheon would turn into an accountabila-bet.
What the heck is an “accountabilia-bet,” you ask? It’s a
bet you make with someone else where the means to an end is holding the other
accountable. Ha! See what I did there?
--Cut me some slack,
satire isn’t always easy to write.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like you to meet my highly
unorthodox accountability partner. His name is Mike. Mike is one of my very
best friends in this entire world. He is also a huge pain in my ass….but that
is another story for another day.
Meet Mike
I’ve known Mike for round about three years now. We began
talking as I was doing a hefty content marketing push a few years ago (yes, for
a blog…this one), and we have been friends and business associates ever since.
What Mike brings to the table is a sense of humor, a joyous attitude about life
and is always high energy, upbeat and full of….ideas – yeah, we will go with ideas…for now. Whereas I, on the other hand,
bring my clear-cut, regimented, Anglo Saxon, Viking-like attitude of badassery and kick ass organizational effiiency to the table.
In short, where I lack vision, he has it. Where he lacks
follow through, I have it.
Dynamite team, no?
And while we often use our powers for good – well, probably
he more than I – we also realized (long ago) the value of challenging one
another, and holding one another accountable to what we say we are going to do. After all, we are all masters of justifying our own bullshit. Myself included. So, we figured, what better way to hold one another accountable for an entire year
than a bet to end all bets?
Here’s how this went
down….
“So, what’s the bet for 2015?” He asked.
I smirked and replied, “Whoever makes the most active and
passive income for the year, wins. Here are the parameters: Monthly earnings
statements from all sources, both passive and active. I’ll track it, because,
well…I know you won’t. Then, at the end of the year, we tally up the totals and
whoever makes the most….wins. Whoever comes in second, is the first to lose.”
“Deal, but what does the winner get?” He inquired.
I cocked my head to the side and squinted my eyes a little –
a common tic of mine when pondering some of the deepest questions of the
Universe, planning a hostile takeover of the planet, or if I haven’t had enough
fiber – and suddenly it hit me.
I continued, “Well, it’s gotta hurt. And since we BOTH hate people (maybe not all people,
but at least asshole people), the loser has to attend one networking event per
week. Two can be anything you want, but one has to be full of people we don’t
like, and another has to be one the loser personally hosts.”
Nodding in agreement, we shook on it…and the
accountabili-bet for 2015 was born.
You might ask, “How does attending events that will build your
career become a losing situation?” Well, in old-school, old-mindset San
Antonio, it really doesn’t. That’s what people here “like”. However, the time
spent at these trite events (where, let’s face it, most folks only go to get
liquored up anyway) takes away from the time we could be developing things that
work on a national scale: blogs, e-books, videos, webinars…you get the idea.
So, for us, it’s a punishment. All of the time and energy taken into fueling
these things takes away from what we know will actually build our business on a
larger scale. So how is it a loss? It’s going to be the most time consuming
thing for the loser in 2016, allowing the winner (me) to continue building
things, setting trends and forging forward, while the loser (Mike) eats my
dust.
--Not that I already
have a plan or anything… Okay....I totally have a plan. --
Yet, the entire idea behind “The Bet”
is a little more complex than just winning or losing. It’s more about having
that one person who will hold your feet to the fire and keep your accountable
to what you say you are going to do.
It’s a lot like having a workout partner at the gym.
Important, right? Same idea. You are more inclined to show up and get a work
out in if you know someone else is depending on you, counting on you; you are less
likely to make up excuses. Get the idea?
Who are you holding accountable for 2015? Better yet, who is
holding YOU accountable? And what are you willing to suffer through to reach
your goals?
If I am willing to suffer through networking events – won’t
happen, but still --, think about the one thing you would hate to do if you were
to make a bet such as this…and lose, and make that your “pain” or “punishment”
if you don’t accomplish your goals for the year. Believe it or not, attaching
pain to failure helps you keep your goals more attainable, realistic and measurable – the recipe for all great goals, really.
But what happens next?
At the end of each month we will be posting the stats for
the loser and the winner, so you can track the progress along with us.
Just promise me one thing. Don’t be too hard on poor Mike.
He’s fragile. (Again, satire. Calm down folks.)
From My Accountabilibuddy and Me to You with Love,
Shauna is a nationally syndicated, renowned columnist who has put a specific emphasis on real estate and personal finance. Shauna has been featured on the front page of Yahoo.com, CNN Money, Realtor.com, MSN Money, Active Rain, Trulia and Zillow (among others).
Shauna has also been a featured speaker on a variety of radio and talk shows as well as Huffington post video panel discussions and been requested to speak on a myriad of issues all throughout Texas, including advocacy against domestic violence, and empowering women through self-education.
