We are working away on “Goal Buddy,” our goal app (also known as “your little goal-achieving friend). I’ve noticed that the most popular apps have short and catchy names (which are certainly more effective and memorable than something like thesuperbestappeverthathelpsyoubeyourverysuperbestself). Goal Buddy’s name came about back in November when I was working on some concept sketches, sitting at the dining table and hoping that some bolt of inspiration would find me.
I suppose it did – I was sketching a potential “welcome screen” for the app and I just wrote down “Goal Buddy,” thinking it would be an interim name that could be changed later when we thought up something we liked better. It stuck, though, and we liked what it evoked: a little friend that is there when you need them and helps you achieve whatever goals need achieving.
Up until last week, I did not really delve into the name’s origin more deeply, until I remembered the first month of my last year of grad school. Let’s just say that I wasn’t happy to be there. My degree took longer than I thought and seemed to be flummoxed with roadblocks every which way I turned. My supervisor wanted me to work in my office five days a week instead of working at home (I can see his point. To be fair, I’d become a little too complacent in my PJs at my apartment.). I dreaded it, though, and I wondered how I would see the process through to the end.
I shared an office with another woman who was in the same situation. We both had to finish our degrees and neither of us wanted to be there, so we made a pact. If one of us was in the office, we both had to be. No more staying home just because we didn’t really feel like going to school. We would keep each other accountable. She joked that we would be each other’s “Accountability Buddy.”
I don’t have enough space to adequately described how that year played out (let’s just say it was interesting), but having my Accountability Buddy there really made a difference. Knowing that someone cared whether I was there or not, whether I was making an effort (or not), and whether I actually finished the task I set out to do (I did finish!), was unquestionably a determining factor.
That is how GoalBuddy got its name. That name may evolve as the app evolves, but for now, it reminds me of that good friend who motivated me to finish my schooling. We hope that GoalBuddy will be the Accountability Buddy in your life too, once our little app is out there in the big world! Stay tuned.