3 Reasons Why You Should Get an Accountability Buddy
Photo by Marques Jackson Photography.
By Eli Walker, founder of Drunk Yoga & Divine Your Story
Show of virtual hands: Who has struggled to hold themselves accountable to their (modified pandemic) goals in 2020? ...Yeah, same. Turns out there’s a good reason for it.
Studies show that holding yourself accountable to your goals is nearly impossible without the right structures in place. As Benjamin Hardy says in his book (which I love and you should buy), Willpower Doesn’t Work, “Whether you want to get healthier, stop using social media so much, improve your relationships, be happier, write a book, or start a business — willpower won’t help you with any of these things.”
While we might think we’re lazy if we can’t stick to our personal goals, it’s likely that you simply don’t have the right support systems to help you manage your time and focus.
My suggestion? Get yo-self an accountability buddy like, yesterday. Here’s why:
Having a buddy makes workouts more fun. Workouts make you happy, and happiness helps you stay optimistic about moving forward in life. Both Marnie from Runstreet and myself (as the creator of a social, interactive yoga movement) can attest, community is key. If some days you just feel “off,” and you don’t want to put on your running shoes or roll out your yoga mat for the sake of your own joy, you’ll likely do it because someone else is counting on you.
Loneliness is killer (literally); your accountability buddy can combat that by giving you a sense of belonging. Even if your buddy isn’t a “friend,” per se, they’ll still make you feel seen, heard, and valued as a result of the inherent camaraderie that accompany social consistency.
When others believe in us, we start to see greater potential in ourselves than we otherwise would have acknowledged. Example: When I onboard new keynote speakers to my Divine Your Story website, many women express how grateful they are that I “finally gave them any excuse” to polish up their speaking reels and turn their 15-minute corporate talk into an hour-long keynote. Simply by reaching out and saying, “Hey, I think you can do this, and if you do this, it’ll help me, too,” it’s a call to action that helps us feel needed -- and there’s no greater motivator than a sense of purpose.
Do yourself a favor and make a list of all of the people in your network doing work that you admire. Then, make a list of 3-5 concrete goals you’d like to achieve in the next 90 days. Reach out to your potential new accountability buddies and propose a weekly check-in call schedule, and behold, as the magic of community helps you bring your wildest dreams into fruition.
Related Posts: How to Make a Self-Care Plan, How to Balance Running and Weightlifting, Improve Your Running with Goal Setting
Eli Walker is the founder of Drunk Yoga and Divine Your Story.
