The two way street of accountability


Sometimes our friends can be great accountability partners. Your work wife or bestie waiting at the gym helps ensure you get your own butt there. But accountability is a two way street. If you blow your buddy off, what is gonna stop her from blowing you off? Sometimes we are motivated by money. Paying a trainer is the accountability you need to show up. Or even paying a penalty for bailing. Maybe you are the type who finds accountability is posting on social media. Again, though, it is a two way street. Your folders won’t support you on your journey, if you don’t support them on theirs. The goal is to find a mode of accountability that is mutually beneficial for you.

I feel I often use accountable and motivate interchangeably. There is a difference in the two words though. I turned to my buddy, Merriam Webster, for some clarity. Accountability is being liable, to someone or thing. While motivation is being enthusiastic, especially when striving towards a goal.

If you sit around waiting for motivation to hit you, you will wait forever. You need to make the choices and take the steps as if you are already there, then you will get there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zig Ziglar said, “Motivation get you started and habit keeps you going.” Truth be told, sometimes we need accountability to create the habits. Our habits can positively serve us, or our habits may have a negative affect on our life. If you crawl into bed every night thinking, Man, I don’t want to go to work in the morning, do you think you will ever awaken in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day? No way. You don’t need to blow sunshine up your rear, but you can go to bed counting your blessing, reflecting on what went well with your day.

I love when Gretchen Rubin talks about the four tendencies. One is not better than the other, but if you don't utilize goal setting habits suited for your tendency, you will not be good at achieving your goals. We cannot all follow a cookie cutter plan to achieve a healthy lifestyle. And once we "reach" the lifestyle, we still need to grow or we will become stagnant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The key is to know what works for you, not to force what works for others onto yourself. I am a total self starter. If I want to run a race, I find a training plan, sign up, and make it happen. I don’t need a buddy to run with, I don’t need to research the plans, and I don’t need to check in with people. If someone else wants to run a race with me, I struggle with making the time. It is for them, and they are checking in with me, but it doesn’t mean my heart is in the action. This has worked for me, as I don’t need external help reaching goals. It has hindered me at times, because I can set comfortable goals instead of challenging myself.

So, how do you hold yourself accountable? What sort of things are you currently working on?