Accountability

I have been thinking a lot about this topic lately. I've been wondering what I did before I had a support group (mostly of people I've never met!) keep me accountable and help me stick to my goals, even when I felt I was getting nowhere and wanted to give up.

When we're young our parents keep us accountable. They make sure we eat right, do our homework, get enough exercise etc. When we get a little older, we have teachers that keep us accountable to our studies. When we enter the working world as adult, we become accountable to ourselves. It's not easy! There are things in life that we do without help - things we enjoy and things that come naturally, but there are certain things we make excuses for. I don't read enough, I sometimes go to bed too late and I don't see my friends enough, just to name a few! Luckily I have a partner who holds me accountable and I'm exceedingly grateful for that.

I can remember looking for accountability as far back as during my high school days - it's human nature to not want to feel like you're on your own. Accountability works in most areas of life, but my example is in fitness and nutrition. If you want to read more, join a book club. If you want to exercise regularly, find someone to workout with. All you need is a personal you trust who understands and sincerely cares about your wellbeing.

When I was first invited to join an accountability group on facebook, I didn't quite know what to make of it or what purpose it would serve. It ended up being a real lifeline for me whilst traveling in China - I didn't feel so alone and there people out there who were on the same mission and we were all holding each other to our goals. I love checking in with the facebook groups and I love seeing what other members have to say - I feel a sense of accomplishment. We're human beings and sometimes we all need a little affirmation from others.

There are so many benefits to having an accountability partner/group. Shared goals and common interests help to keep you heading in the right direction. We all know that when we verbalise our goals and share them with other, we feel an added sense of obligation to achieve them. If we keep our goals to ourselves we can make so many excuses when we come up against any stumbling blocks.

A support of like-minded people can provide inspiration and motivation to keep going. I can honestly say that my friends have been such an enormouos inspiration to me, and they continue to inspire me every day. A good accountability partner is honest and will tell you when you're making excuses or straying off course. They can also help you to get back on course when you feel you've gone off on a tangent. Sometimes it's struggle to keep going and that little bit of encouragement can be the difference between carrying on and giving up. It's also much easier to monitor your success and progress when you have people standing by your side watching you grow. It's like the tree falling in the forest.

My accountability group has lept me engaged and interested for over 8 months. I don't think I've missed a day! I love having a place I can go to look for encouragement, affirmation, motivation and advice but I've also noticed that through having these people keep me accountable, I have learned how to keep myself accountable and that is truly a life lesson.