The reading on my bathroom scale synced with that of my dear friend! We checked in with each other: I texted her my new weight, then texted that I’d completed twenty-five minutes of vigorous dance. I even texted a picture of my egg white/protein shake pancakes with bananas! And so it goes—we are accountability partners on a mission to support each other through a lifestyle change.
If you’ve ever attended one of my group coaching sessions, you know that I’m big on accountability. It’s so easy to say we will do something, but acting is another step easily forgotten after our initial decision to do x, y or z. I always ask session participants to partner up and follow-up–two weeks or a month after the session. Why? Because your chances are higher of achieving your goal increase when you have someone to keep you accountable and on track.
Work with an accountability partner:
- Choose someone you trust who may be on the same track or has a similar goal
- Create a plan for checking in
- Check in regularly as you hit even the smallest milestones
- Be positive—avoid nagging or chastising and listen to each other
- Keep it up for as long as you need to
- Acknowledge the milestones
- Appreciate your small and large successes
- Be grateful for your accountability partner
I have used accountability partnering with my husband, colleagues, and friends for different personal and professional goals. Connecting with someone else teaches us that we are not alone in our journeys. We feel motivated to keep going when we walk that difficult path with someone who can support us as we share our challenges and successes.
Would you consider getting yourself an accountability partner? Who might you choose? A life coach makes a marvellous accountability partner. Reach out if you’re considering working together to stay accountable.
Photo courtesy of Pexels.