Accountability Tips from Counselor Felty

During this trying time, many students and others working from home have commented on how difficult it is to generate motivation and stay focused on their work. While creating a consistent workspace and regularly scheduled work and study time is extremely helpful, we are missing a vital component of motivation now that we are social distancing. Accountability!!! When we are all together, accountability is built-in. That feeling you have when you sense that all your classmates are reading the material, so you too start reading; that’s accountability. When your professor walks by, and you quickly switch from looking at memes to working on your project, that’s accountability. When you feel obligated to study because you’re a member of a study group, that’s accountability.

As you can see, accountability is a vital component of our motivation and focus. So, how do we generate accountability when we are socially distant? Here are some helpful hints:

1. Communicate your study schedule with those you live with and ask them to honor your schedule and help you maintain it.
2. Create accountability teams. Enlist family, friends, or a coach who will contact you and check-in to see how you are doing, and to whom you will report progress.
3. Group study. Use FaceTime, Zoom, or other social networks and start a study group. Not all of you have to be in the same class, just being virtually together at the same time will motivate you to work.
4. Have someone else in the room. Just having another person in the room who is also working will motivate you to work. If there is nobody available where you are, get a friend and Facetime with them while you work. Don’t talk; just work together. If you’re struggling to find someone to do this with, check out FocusMate.com. FocusMate has good rules to follow, even if you are using FaceTime or other methods.

Now that we don’t have built-in accountability, we have to be intentional about generating some. Be mindful of your need for accountability, be willing to create it, and offer it to others. If, after trying the above, you are still struggling with motivation and focus, please contact our administrative assistant Jenn Linebaugh in Counseling Services at linebaug@lvc.edu or 717-867-6232 to schedule an appointment with one of the counselors so we can discuss other ways to help.

We wish you continued success.

Jim Felty, MA, LPC, CAADC
Counseling Services
Office: 717-867-6698