An Accountability partner can be the difference between succeeding and falling short of your goals. When you know that someone cares and will check in with your results, it completely changes your behavior.
Only the most disciplined people can work the same way even when no one is watching. It takes a lot of self-accountability and cares for what you're doing to reach this level. Most people benefit from an accountability partner because you always feel like you have eyes on you.
"Blaming, whining, deflecting accountability, risk aversion, and resistance to change are but a handful of symptoms of the adversity-beaten individual and organization." - Paul G
Why Do You Need an Accountability Partner?
You need an accountability partner to make sure you're doing the hard things that you don't want to do. You ever noticed how no one needs an accountability partner to watch more TV or eat more junk food? Its because these things are easy to do. You need an accountability partner for things like the following:
- Quit Smoking
- Stop Drinking
- Workout
- Read The Bible
- Stay in Touch
- Write Everyday
- Keep a Journal
An Accountability partner is going to check up on your progress in a given area. You could both hold each other accountable to the same or different things. The key is that you find someone you respect. It's the respect you have for them that will drive you to do what you should.
What Benefits Come From Having an Accountability Partner?
There are a few benefits to having an accountability partner that you will not want to miss out on. When you have an accountability partner, you increase your chances of success, but you get a lot more than that.
- Be your authentic self and feel free to reveal your daily failures
- Get the opportunity to coach and serve others
- Push through plateaus from knowing someone will know how you do
- It costs you nothing but effort and time
6 Steps to Finding an Accountability Partner
Step 1 - Figure Out What You Want to Improve
Before you get all excited about an accountability partner, the first thing you need to do is decide why you need one. You need a strong desire to improve an area of your life. If the desire is not there, you will resent your accountability partner for making your life harder.
Choose the area that is holding back your success the most. You want to get the most bang for your buck with this change. If you fail to do this, you will quit easily because you don't have a reason to go through all of this.
Step 2 - Find Someone Who is Strong In This Area
Once you know what you want to improve, you need to find someone who is a beast. For example, if you want to stop drinking, find your friend that never drinks and hates when people do. Use your phone contacts and all of your social media channels to think of different names.
Step 3 - Shoot Your Shot
You have to put yourself out there and just ask. Just remember that the worst they can say is no. You want to start the conversation by commending them for how good they are doing in certain areas of their life. The second thing you want to let them know is that the commitment is not a huge one.
Step 4 - Discuss The Terms of The Partnership
If they are on board to hold you accountable, you have to nail down the nitty-gritty details because you can do this in so many ways. Here are some details you need to figure out.
- How often will you meet? (daily, weekly, monthly)
- How will you meet? (Text, phone call, meet in person)
- Who will hold who accountable, and for what?
- How long will this last for?
- What other technology will you use?
You want to make sure you discuss everything that you can think of, so there are no misunderstandings. If you start this partnerships with different ideas of what accountability likes, it will lead to frustration and a failed partnership. No matter how hard the conversation needs to be, lay it all out.
Step 5 - Set Punishments
One of the last things you want to do is set punishments. If accountability is going to be pushed to the limit, you need to feel pain. You are more likely to avoid pain then you're to seek reward.
Whatever the punishment is, you want to give your partner control over when its executed. For example, if you have to buy someone something or donate money, it should be in their power to make that happen. Give them access to whatever account they need to make it happen.
4 Ways to Ensure a Successful Accountability Partnership
1. Don't Forget The Focus
Whatever you do, don't lose focus on why you have started the partnership. You're moving towards certain goals you want to hit, and you can't let anything get in the way of reach your goals.
2. Take It Serious
Nothing kills these partnerships faster than people who don't take it seriously. If you take it like its a joke, it will get you nowhere. Accountability works best with two parties who are serious about achieving a desired outcome. Its not a game in anyway.
3. Use Habit Stacker
Habit Stacker makes it easy to track your habits daily but it goes further than that because the app allows you to add friends. You can then share your check-ins, journal, goals and daily habits with your friends. They can hold you accountable right through the app.
4. Don't Judge or Lack Empathy
You don't want to come into your partnership with judgment. You have to create a safe space for honesty. If you don't do this, people will not be honest. When there is no honesty, there is no real accountability.