The power of accountability is something you can feel in your bones and can fuel success for voice actors. There’s actually science behind the power of accountability, and finding an accountability buddy and having regular check-in meetings can make it much easier to stay on course and achieve your goals.
There’s power in saying it out loud. “Oh no,” you think. “Once i say my hopes, dreams and goals out loud someone will hear me and then…” You’re accountable for it. You’ve heard the stories of young artists who walk up to their parents and friends and say, “One day, I’m going to be a famous musician.” Stefani Germanotta, AKA Lady Gaga, did just that. So many times, in fact, that her NYU classmates started a Facebook group called “Stefani Germanotta You Will Never Be Famous”.
Most of us don’t want to reveal our desires because if they don’t happen, then we feel foolish for even sharing them. What to do then? How can you develop your dreams of a successful voice over business unless you speak it out loud? Here’s my suggestion:
Find an Accountability Buddy
The most effective and least nerve-wracking way to declare your goals and make sure you stick to them is to find an accountability buddy. It could be a fellow voice actor you trust. What better person to report to then someone who knows what you’re trying to do? You might also ask your voiceover coach or maybe a casting director you’re good friends with. It just has to be someone who understands what you’re trying to do and will ask you each week what progress you’ve made since the last meeting. Once you find your accountability buddy its time for the next step…
Have Regular Meetings
The one thing that makes having an accountability buddy effective is establishing regular meetings. I find meeting once a week with my accountability buddy keeps me on track with my tasks. It works both ways, too. They know that I’ll be asking him about their progress. Regular meetings pay off in two ways. One, having to report progress each week keeps you on task; and two, you begin to form good habits.
The science behind the power of accountability
There is at least a metric ton of research on the science of forming habits. They basically all say that enough repetition of an act, with some reward as the result, creates an enduring habit. Example: tell your accountability buddy that your goal is to audition for at least five jobs a day. Each day, you do at least five auditions, then when you have your next meeting you get to proudly report that you met your goal! They say “great job!” You feel good about yourself, and you might get a few gigs along the way. Repetition of a task with positive stimuli means you’re building a new habit. That’s the power of accountability.