Why You Need An Accountability Partner

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Accountability Partners as a Strategic Success Tool

Have you ever started something but didn’t finish? Or worse yet you said you were going to do something but never even got started? Don’t worry you’re not alone. When it comes to getting stuff done getting started is the hardest part and keeping it going is a close second. That’s where accountability partners and groups come in to help you succeed.

Accountability partners and groups are people that get together that have a similar common goal. One example would be a book club. They have a common goal of finishing and discussing a book (or maybe a few). These partners and groups are important to success because they keep you accountable for the things you say and do. Think about this, how hard is it going to be to tell you group of friends you didn’t’ do something? Pretty hard, especially if you know they stayed accountable for the same task. It’s kind of like peer pressure except your peers are convincing you to improve your life!

Now you may be thinking this concept sounds pretty cool but you have one big question, “How do I even find an accountability partner or group?”  The answer is there are a few different ways to get involved.

3 Ways to Find Accountability Partners or Groups 

Local Groups

Local GroupsNetworking is going to be a big part of meeting people and being part of an accountability group. You can find local groups through your hobbies or other interests. If you want to be part of Toastmasters find a local group and join. If you want to be around more people that like RC cars or planes go to a local hobby shop and ask around. There are thousands of people meeting everyday you just need to get out and find them. If you are having trouble with finding groups the next two ways of getting into a group are for you!

Create Your Own 

Creating your own group may not be the easiest way to go about this but it’s definitely the most rewarding. There are a few things that need to be done to create your own group. One is finding a place to meet. A simple solution is finding a park, a Starbucks, or someone’s house that is easily accessible.

Next you want to find a few like minded people to come together and create a group. Ideally you can find these people through your network. If you don’t have a network yet starting with an online group or a local meetup may be easier. Depending on your goals you can decide the main focus of the group (a book club reads books).

Next pick a time and date and be consistent. The third Monday or second Thursday of a month are great examples. This is something you want the entire group to agree on. At a later date you can work as a group to change the date but to start pick something that is easy to remember.

Online

OnlineThere are an abundance for online groups that can be joined. Some of these groups only meet online while others just use the internet as a way to market themselves. Depending on your personality either option will work. You can find these groups through social media like Facebook or apps like MeetUp. Check into if the groups are only online or if they meet in person before you join, it wouldn’t be fun to join a group just to find out that you don’t even live where they meet.

Now What Do We Do?

One you have a group you’re going to want something to do. There are a few options out there. You’ll notice that most groups have a structure that is consistent with each meeting. You don’t to show up to a book club and spend the entire time talking about something unrelated like sports or video games. That’s why it is important for an accountability group or partnership to have a structure.

Regular Meetings

The idea of regular meetings is going to be the easiest option for everyone involved. The group can pick a time and location for the meeting. Once this is set it should not be changed unless the group is better off changing time and locations at a future date.

The next thing the group will want to figure out is a schedule for the meeting. A good way to do that is to have a short period of time at the beginning for catching up as everyone rolls in. After everyone has arrived it’s time to get serious. Depending on your group you may want to do 10 to 20 minute time slots for everyone to talk about what they did do, didn’t do, and what they want to improve on. If your group has presentations this would be the time to do that. If these two ideas don’t sound right for your group then it’s time to discuss with them what will work best.

At the end of these meetings everyone should have had a chance to talk and make goals for the future. These goals can be as individuals or as a group. It’s up to you to decide what will work best for you.

Group Events

Group EventsGroup events are as formal or informal as you want them to be. These kind of events can be anything from team building to a guys or girls night out. This is the time when your group is creating a bond that will make you feel the need to stay accountable.

One of favorites group events for the groups I’ve been involved with were local sports games. It works out well because they are relatively cheap compared to professional games and almost everyone can have fun. If your group isn’t into sports it may be possible to find trade shows or conventions that interest the team. Remember this is about bonding with the group so find something that the group can enjoy.

Classes

Education is important for becoming successful and part of an accountability group or partner is helping everyone achieve more. One of the best ways to improve the group is through taking classes. This doesn’t have to be through a college or anything formal. If you or your group members see a seminar or class on a topic related to the group everyone has a chance to learn. Keep on the lookout for local events that are related to what you and your group want to achieve. A local personal finance seminar can push a personal finance accountability group to the next level.

Any time you take a class make sure to take notes and share it with the group. If multiple people in the group want to learn the same thing it can turn into more of a group event and it will make learning more fun. Remember this is about education and helping yourself and the group. Learning is one of the foundations of success so help your group learn!

Accountability On Your Own

Make a PlanThe groups or partners may make accountability easier but you still have to make sure you are accountable to yourself. This means that between meetings it’s important to stay on the right track. It may be hard to stay accountable when you aren’t checking in with your group or partners regularly but here are a few ways to do it.

  1. Use a daily journal to write down your daily, weekly, monthly, and long term goals.
  2. Create a “To do list” of all the most important activities. The more important the task is the higher it is on the list. Don’t skip tasks for something easier.
  3. Look at the end result you want and create a plan from end to beginning. This is your roadmap to success. Make adjustments as needed.
  4. Create a unique habit that helps you achieve your goals and stay accountable to yourself.

Everyone is different so try new things and experiment. If something works out well for you bring it to the group’s attention. It’s never a bad thing to help yourself and the group at the same time. Your group members may even start using your accountability tricks to improve themselves outside of the group.

Achieve More Through Accountability

It may not seem like it at first but accountability is a big part in becoming successful. You never know when something you are working on could change your life. It is important to surround yourself with people that also want you to succeed. Bringing those kinds of people so that everyone has a chance to achieve more. The more accountable you are for your actions the better. If you can bring people together with a common goal it makes it even easier.

Don’t forget that one of the best ways to achieve success is to create a culture of accountability around you. Share your ideas and goals with friends and family. Find new people to spend time with that want to achieve more just like you do. If you think that someone you know would benefit from learning more about accountability share these ideas with them. Help others join our community of people that believe everyone can achieve more!

Fear as Motivation for Success

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Fear, The Great Motivator

Fear as motivation isn’t something you hear about often. Sometimes you will hear people say to face your fears. Most of the time people just try to avoid being scared. This is a problem because when you are pushing yourself you are going to be scared. This is completely normal. You shouldn’t hold yourself back because of an idea. Take action and use fear as motivation!

Why Fear is a Great Motivator 

Using fear to motivate yourself makes sense because it is a natural response to danger. At one point in human history we used fear as a way to keep ourselves from being injured or potentially killed. That’s not the same as modern times. Most of the things people are fearful of won’t actually cause any problems. If you look at the most common phobias (heights, spiders, and snakes), most of them won’t actually hurt you. Yes in very specific circumstances they can but it is unlikely. So when you are thinking of fears you should think of them as a way to push yourself to new limits.heights

Fear is Something That Can Either Push You or Hold You Back

When you are fearful of something you have 2 choices. You can embrace the fear and push forward or you can continue to be scared and hold yourself back. It is a mental game and I know which side I’m going to choose, what about you? Pushing yourself with fear will give you a chance to grow as a person. You’ll have the opportunity have new experiences that will create new ideas. Going outside of your comfort zone is the only way you will ever achieve more than average. Don’t let yourself fall prisoner to an average lifestyle!

Look at The Success of Others

Success comes to those who are willing to push the limits of what they believe is possible. The most successful people in the world have been fearful of something. Look at what they have achieved and know that it is possible for you to do the same. One of the best ways to learn about the fears and success of other is reading biographies. A biography is like a mini mentor that will help push you to the next level. Many people back down from fear before they should because they don’t want to fail. You must push through that fear just like all of the successful people before you!

Fear of Failure

People are scared of failure because we are taught from a young age that failure is bad. The problem with that is failure is one of the best ways to learn. If you look at babies they learn how to walk by failing. The stand up and then fall until they eventually learn to balance and quit falling. Over time learning from failure gives you a chance to turn failure into success. Failure gives you a chance to develop skills that would have been missed if you immediately become successful (not that this is bad but it’s uncommon. If you can push past the fear of failure you expand your comfort zone. Once you realize your comfort zone is larger than you originally thought you have already taken the first step towards success.

Fear of Success 

Success is a weird thing. Depending on who you ask you will get a different definition. What matters most is that you define your own success. This is where people get scared of success. It is hard to be successful when you compare yourself to others. The success someone else has may scare you and make you think you can’t achieve more. This is untrue. Don’t let peer pressure and the belief that the success someone else achieved is the only right way.Success for everyone

Success is what you make it. Your success may be having more friends or earning more money or maybe spending more time with your family. No matter what you choose, push yourself as hard as possible to achieve your goals. The scariest part of success is that you don’t know what it feels like until you have achieved it. The fear of success is really just the fear of failing to achieve your goals. Don’t let fear decide how successful you can be!

Success Comes to Those Willing to Face Their Fears

No matter what you do the next step will always cause you to be fearful of something. Don’t let this fear hold you back. You are living your life for you and you can push yourself to do anything you set your mind to. You’re the only limiting factor in your life. If you struggle with pushing yourself, you may want to find a friend or family member that will be your accountability partner. Someone that is there to push you when you’re scared to push yourself. It’s time to face your fears!

To help you get started on facing your fears we want to you find 1 thing that you are scared of and write it down. Next you should make a list of 5 reasons why you are scared. Then you will want to write down at least 5 reasons why facing your fears will make your life better. Share this list with your partner and let them work through why facing your fears will benefit your life with you. Your partner should ask “What’s the worst that can happen?” this question will open you up to the fact that most of the worst case scenarios aren’t that bad.  Last you will want to get out there and use your fear as motivation!

If you have any trouble finding an accountability partner feel free to contact us. We’re always happy to help someone achieve more!