Modern Compass Newsletter

Hello there,

Habits. The conventional wisdom says to stack them, track them, and repeat them. Yet most of us have journals with only a few entries or gym memberships that eventually go unused. This week I want to share why accountability matters more than habits and how it can change the outcomes we care about most.

Want to listen to an overview of this issue on the go? Check out this TikTok video:

@themoderncompass

#ModernCompass #accountability #personalgrowth #newsletter Issue 7 of Modern Compass Newsletter: Accountability before Habits

Featured Insight

The Problem – We are told to focus on building habits, but habits often fall apart after a few weeks without proper accountability. Without support, it is easy to skip a day, then another, and soon the habit disappears.

The Insight – Accountability is the foundation that habits depend on. A partner, a system, or even a personal checkpoint creates the structure that keeps us consistent. The deeper truth is that we rarely care about the habit itself. What we care about is the outcome: stop smoking, lose weight, save money, start something new. The habit is only a vehicle. Accountability is what keeps us moving toward the destination.

Those destinations can feel far off and impossible, which is why many give up. Social media makes it look like people achieve goals perfectly, but that is an illusion. In reality there are detours and setbacks. Accountability is what gets you back on the road. As Willie Jolley said, “a setback is just a setup for a comeback.”

There is also a hidden requirement that often goes unspoken: alignment with yourself. If you don’t truly care about the outcome, no amount of outside pressure will keep you going. Friends and loved ones can and will try to push you, especially on health issues like smoking or weight, but if you are not invested, it will not last.

So how do you build that alignment if it doesn’t come naturally? Start by asking yourself why this outcome matters to you personally. Go up to three levels deep. For example, “I want to quit smoking” becomes “I want more energy” becomes “I want to play with my kids without getting winded.” That 2nd or 3rd layer deep is where alignment and clarity to the outcome might be hiding. My history of the broad “lose weight” focus area had many failures over my 40 years, it was that 2nd to 3rd layer that eventually took hold, and it was “I’ve seen what diabetes does to a person (first hand to my dad), I dont want that for myself”. That created very powerful alignment to the outcome and I dropped 50lb years ago and have still kept most of it off. You end up realizing the focus areas that you want to stick around like weight management and so, don’t really have an end or destination, they become your lifestyle which still may or may not require accountability.

Types of accountability

• Public accountability: sharing your progress with others

• Reciprocal accountability: having someone check in on you, while you do the same for them

• Internal accountability: tracking your own progress and reviewing it regularly

Over time, it is not the habit that sticks. It is the alignment to the outcome, supported by accountability, that makes change possible.

Interactive Activity

This week try a simple mapping exercise. It will help you see where accountability is missing and how to add it back in.

1. Pick one focus area & outcome you have been struggling to reach.

2. List the habits you have tried to get there.

3. Mark which ones fell apart.

4. Ask yourself: what accountability or alignment was missing each time?

5. Create one accountability upgrade. Tell a friend, set a check-in, or use a system that records your actions (your in luck….see below).

The goal is not to chase the habit. The goal is to build accountability and alignment strong enough that the outcome you want starts to become real, even if its little gains over time.

One Way to Put Into Practice: Impulse Wallet Exclusive Beta Launch

I built Impulse Wallet as a simple way to make accountability real. It’s a social accountability app where you track progress with a +$1/–$1 system, either solo or in private rooms with friends, family, or colleagues. Every small decision adds up, and the goal is to reach $20 each week. The wallet resets every Monday, giving you a fresh start.

Why try it? Accountability works—research shows goals are 65% more likely to stick with a partner. Impulse Wallet makes that simple without the noise of social media or the shame of endless streaks.

The beta is live now, no download or signup required. Give it a try, invite friends and family to join you, and reply with any feedback or suggestions.

Impulse Wallet Guide

Milestone Unlocks (Kickstarter Style)

The following are things I’ll start investing time into if I hit these active user milestones:

50 active users: Dark mode capability

100 active users: Basic trophy room system for players (can be seen by other players in their active room) and persists with you if you move to different rooms

200 active users: Public focus centric rooms with potential Discord integration (Fitness Focus, Productivity Partners, Wellness Warriors, etc.) - find accountability partners beyond your personal network

500 active users: Mobile Apps on iPhone & Android

Modern Compass Book Updates

Too be frank and in the spirit of accountability, I have slacked on writing this month. I did some, but not as much as I would have liked. Last 2 weeks I’ve obsessed over this app to get it launched and once the function was there, get it looking better for this months newsletter issue. Now that I’m getting it out, from here I pivot back writing and troubleshooting any issues anyone spots in the app, unless of course we hit those milestones much quicker than I expect! From launch, to good enough, to beta in roughly 2 weeks, meant not as much time writing, but writing continues to be a focus area for me that I track in the app. When I don’t get at least 15 minutes of writing daily, I hit withdrawal and see my Impulse Wallet dwindle, so I don’t like to see that. Thats just a glimpse of how I use my app and hold myself more accountable.

Stay Connected and always…follow your compass.

Did this topic or activity spark any insights for you? I’d love to hear it! Survey Link
Like this issue? Share it with a friend who’d enjoy it! [Newsletter Signup Link]