One step at a time

The power of accountability partners

When your head is overflowing with ideas you’re eager to bring to life, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. You don’t know where to begin—so you don’t. Or at least it feels like you’re doing nothing. That’s when it’s time for a little intervention.

We’ve all heard the advice: "Take one step at a time." But what if patience isn’t your strong suit? What if you don’t even know which direction to take that first step? What deserves your focus? In those stuck-in-the-mud moments, having creative friends to bounce ideas off can be a real game-changer.

Two of my accountability partners live in Singapore—we met during Bonnie Christine’s Immersion course. Peer groups were part of the program, and more than a year later, we still meet monthly. Long live video calls!

During one of our recent chats, we were all feeling that same sense of creative overload—trying to focus on too many things at once. Someone brought up a YouTube video titled “The Drawing Advice That Changed My Life.” It nailed the issue with a perfect metaphor: laying a single brick of a million different houses and expecting one of them to magically turn into a mansion. Sound familiar?

The video offers a great perspective shift—definitely worth a watch.

But more importantly, we didn’t stop at just sharing our struggles. We made a plan. Now, every Sunday, we each post the one key task we want to focus on in the coming week. That’s it—just one. It’s simple, clear, and surprisingly effective.

By doing this, we’ve become each other’s accountability partners. And let me tell you—it really helps.

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, puts it perfectly:

“Knowing that someone is watching can be a powerful motivator. You are less likely to procrastinate or give up because there is an immediate cost… Suddenly, you are not only failing to uphold your promises to yourself, but also failing to uphold your promises to others.”

So if you, too, struggle with focus or feel buried under a pile of good intentions, try this: take one clear step, and share it. Whether it’s with a friend, a creative buddy, or even on social media—accountability can be the nudge you need to move forward.

You might be surprised how much progress you make, one step at a time.