The Luminarias Club

No one cares about your career as much as you do, right? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use a little support to hit your goals. Start an accountability club that will keep you focused on creating the career you want. Here’s how:

Choose your compañeras. You’ll need a small group of three to five people who can meet regularly. Some people feel more comfortable with friends. Others think objective advice from strangers is best. In these cases, make sure you share something in common (either you’re in the same industry or at the same career level, or you’re similarly self-employed or freelancing). Remember, discretion is key. You all must know that anything shared will be strictly confidential.

Commit. Whatever time you choose for meetings, it has to be sacred. If people start flaking out or you have to reschedule over and over, things will fall apart quickly. With that said, the group might not work out for everyone. Set a date a few months down to reassess.

Keep things structured. Take turns at each meeting to talk about what you’re working on. Set a time limit. Each member should have about 20 minutes. The idea is that this check-in will help crystallize personal goals and push you to act towards them. The group’s responsibility? To offer advice and feedback and to call you out on it whenever you’re missing your targets.

Be professional. This is not the time to vent about your significant other or show off photos of that cool restaurant you hit last week. Consider this work time and stay on topic.