Staying on track with your goals can be a difficult and daunting task. It is often accompanied by feelings of pressure, failure and guilt, when what you crave is motivation, drive and satisfaction. At least, that’s what I have come to learn from my clients through my coaching work, as well as my own experience.  

The good news is there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

One winning (and proven) formula that will help you move forward and get closer to reaching your goal is to share it with somebody else. But not just anybody else. You need a special someone, who is committed to helping you succeed and will keep you motivated and empowered throughout the process. Someone known as an Accountability Partner.

Who is an Accountability Partner?

An Accountability Partner is your trusted, go-to person who will take notes and track your progress to ensure you reach your goal. They will encourage you and support you, as well as help you see things from multiple perspectives.

How to find your Accountability Partner

Look around your friends and colleagues and shortlist the individuals that you can trust. Your Accountability Partner can be one person or a group of people – it’s your choice. Trust is key for this relationship to work well. After all, you will get personal with them, sharing your goals, thoughts and feelings on an ongoing basis.

Your Accountability Partner does not need to have a similar personality to yours. In fact, it can work better if they have different strengths and abilities.

Making it a successful collaboration from the word ‘go’

First and foremost, set some ground rules in order for this relationship to be successful.

Open up and talk to your Accountability Partner about your plans and priorities. Be specific about the actions you want to take to reach your goals. And be clear about any consequences and/or rewards for keeping (or not keeping) your promises.

Set up regular check-in times – a short message or a photo showing you taking action will do. Make it a daily or a weekly task – whatever works best for both parties.

Make sure to revisit your goals and strategies on a regular basis so that you stay on track.

Once you have reached your goal – celebrate! Go on, reward yourself for all your efforts and commitment. And remember to thank your Accountability Partner for their great support!