How to be more accountable and stop finding excuses of being too busy, or too tired, or simply postponing your dance practice for later?

We often make grand plans but fail on showing up and performing them. Or sometimes we do show up but don't put 100% of our energy into the task. This relates to dance training too, especially if we are talking about practicing on your own. How to be more accountable and stop finding excuses of being too busy, or too tired, or simply postponing for later?

Try to schedule your dance training earlier in the day, when you have more energy, and earlier in the week, so it's not left till the last moment which often transfers to the next week.
Use online resources. You know I'm a huge fan of using modern technologies to our advantage, and using online classes allows you to focus only on the studying, instead of trying to be your own teacher and decide what to do next.

Check online live streaming classes. This is a great option if you are one of those people who keeps postponing dance training for later. You simply can not do it with a live stream class, so you are forced to show up, or you will miss it.
Consider taking individual Skype classes. It not only brings great feedback for you from the teachers who may not be reachable in your city, but also makes you commit to show up at a specific time. I know that many dancers are too afraid of big financial expenses related to individual Skype sessions on a regular basis. But you can do a Skype class once in two weeks, and ask your teacher to give you homework (movement, or combo to work on). This will also be a great additional motivation for you to work on your own, because you know that your teacher will check it during the next class.
Create your own accountability group. I bet there are other dancers in your city who would like to boost their dance training as well as connect to likeminded people! Put together a group of 3-5 dancers dedicated to enhance their training, and arrange weekly or biweekly dance meetings. It can be in-person or via Skype. Each meeting you rotate a facilitator who prepares what your group is working on: it can be the drilling of a specific combo, an online video class, or a discussion topic. You can also find an amazing online community at the Iana Dance Club. This platform will allow you to do training on your own schedule (without any scheduled meetings), but still feel accountable and supported by the group of likeminded dancers.
Start attending dance events. It doesn't need to be huge international trips. Start with exploring nearby events in your country. Seeing work of other dancers and connecting to the community will inspire you to keep developing your own dance skills. Also, enroll in open stage performances and competitions. Knowing that you need to prepare a performance will boost your commitment to your dance practice a lot because you'll want to showcase your dancing in the best possible way.

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Author: Iana Komarnytska
Photographer: Pedro Bonatto