Last year I was lucky enough to interview the remarkable Silma Ihran.
Silma is known as a pioneer of Muslim education, school founder and principal, campaigner for racial tolerance and a political candidate.
Silma’s faith and the fight for racial and religious tolerance are at the centre of everything she does.
Highly educated and highly motivated, she’s nothing if not a battler.
Silma founded the Noor Al Houda Islamic College in Sydney and became the subject of Jane Jeffes’ highly acclaimed film ‘Silma’s School’ when she took Bankstown Airport to the Supreme Court in a 5 year battle for leasing the school land they knew was contaminated.
Silma feels an accountabiity to her faith and her community and that helps her keep going.
“It ties in with my religious belief that if you are capable of doing something for society and you’re given the capacity to do it, then you should. Otherwise, it’s a denial of the gifts that you’ve been given.”
Silma ended up having to use her own money for the battle. She accessed her superannuation and re-mortgaged her home. Eventually, the school was awarded $1,094,430 in damages. She went on to lead the school and continue to support the Muslim community.
“Well, it’s something in front of you and you’ve got the capacity to do it and you’ll feel better if you do. But if you don’t do it, then it’s a loss of an opportunity.”
Finding Accountability that Works for You
If, like me, you can find yourself running out of motivation mid-project, accountability is a powerful way to help yourself keep going.
This can, like Silma, take the form of overall accountability to a person, community or even a religion. Or, you can hack yourself so you are accountable to people who you have appointed (with or without their knowledge!) to be your accountability buddies.
Actually, by reading this you’re being an accountability buddy for me. I write this so that you can read it – or even just notice it turning up weekly in your inbox. I know you may not open it every week, or may just skim it but I’ve made a commitment to you to keep writing and sending in the hope that there’s something here that will be helpful or spark some thought or action that’s useful for you.
So a powerful mechanism to keep going, especially if you find yourself more likely to keep commitments to others than to yourself, is to put in a fixed accountability structure with a friend or a colleague or a commitment to publish something others will see.
There are even accountability apps that pair you with people while you work. https://www.getsupporti.com for example. Check it out, it claims to help with procrastination too!
CLICK HERE to book an informal chat to discuss your journey and how I can help
3 TOP TIPS ON ACCOUNTABILITY HACKS
- Plan for the vulnerable points. When are you likely to waver? Think ahead and plan accountability to start before then.
- Identify who you want to be accountable to and how it will work – is there mutual accountability you can set up with a friend or colleague? What will it consist of (keep it simple)
- Do it, no excuses while I’m all for compassion, respect is reflected in holding each other to account – that’s what accountability is for – so don’t let each other get away with excuses!
Good luck with it! Keep mindful of your progress and what may be waylaying you and fix it fast!
