New Years Resolution: Enlist an Accountability Partner
Ahh. A New Year, a New You! It’s time to take stock of yourself and make your resolutions while you are on the road to growth and discovery. By now you have probably seen multiple articles in how to set and keep your resolutions. Whatever resolution you make, there is one thing you can do ensure you keep them. Enlist an accountability partner.
What is an accountability partner? Someone who holds you to your goals, challenges you when you are stuck and someone who will be your biggest cheerleader. Studies have shown that when you set a goal such as a New Year’s resolution, you have a 65% chance of keeping it. When you enlist an accountability partner, this shoots up to 95%. This holds even more true for some of the toughest challenges, such as alcoholism. One of the key tenants of AA is that everyone has an accountability partner to call on when you have a crisis.
If one of your goals is to get in better shape, knowing that a friend is waiting for you in the gym at a certain time ensures that you will go. Otherwise, it is easier to stay home especially when you are tired, sore or if it is cold out. If one of your goals is to learn a language, take a class, etc., isn’t it easier if you have someone joining you?
Having an accountability partner also makes your goals real. When you don’t share your goals or verbalize them, they remain abstract. When you share them with someone, then it something you feel obliged to keep.
How can you chose an accountability partner? It really depends on the goal. Perhaps it is someone who shares the same goal and can work side by side with you to complete it. A life partner is another excellent choice and can lead to strengthening bonds between you. It can also be someone you know will hold you accountable and give you tough love at the moments you most need it. This is where a life coach can be helpful, especially for some of our bigger, long term goals.
The life coach helps you organize yourself, identifying reasonable goals, breaking them down into accomplishable steps and identifying what is in your way and working with you to move past barriers. Furthermore, a life coach is invested in you in a non-biased manner. Finally, knowing you have an appointment with your coach pushes you to work on the tasks you have set aside for yourself.
Making resolutions and a commitment to becoming the best version of yourself is a laudable action. Ensure that you set yourself up for success by enlisting an accountability partner then celebrate the successes you achieve.
