3 ways to build accountability

One of the hardest parts of starting anything is sticking with it. It’s easy to keep up the momentum in the initial days, when the excitement is high because it’s new. But what about the days and weeks and months that follow? How do we keep ourselves on track after the initial high has dissipated? This is where accountability plays a role, and it is not always a simple task!

To help you reach your goals, I’m giving you 3 tips to increase your accountability: 

1. Set realistic goals

One of the greatest skills, when it comes to working towards a wider goal, is understanding all of the steps required to achieve the final outcome, and using that to your advantage. It is really easy to get swept up in the excitement of starting out, which allows us to sometimes by-pass logic, as it relates to what is realistic and what is not. 

Goal setting requires a lot of self reflection, patience, and a willingness to learn and grow. One of the biggest goal setting myths is that you have to stick to exactly what you plotted out in the onset, when really, they can be quite fluid with plenty of wiggle room.

A successful goal setting plan will include a series of small, incremental changes. This could be increasing weight, flexibility, workout time, or number of days you are active. As goal setting is extremely personal, your plan should be catered to your specific needs. In other words, if your underlying goal is not to lose weight, then your plan should not reflect that, in the same way that you shouldn’t be following a workout plan intended for high-level athletes, if you aren’t planning on hitting the podium at the next Olympics!

Setting these smaller goals allows you to slowly progress from start to finish. This realistic series of actions takes away the overwhelm that often comes when your goal getting process becomes more challenging. It is also for this reason that these incremental goals work best when they aren’t fixed to a specific deadline. Yes - deadlines help, but if you need an extra week or two at a certain stage of your plan, then you’re more likely to give up altogether when you realize you likely aren’t going to get jacked arms in time for that one-off event.

Further, if the current plan isn’t working, regroup! Take another look at your plan, your lifestyle, and schedule, and revise as you go. Things happen, our lives change rapidly, and many of those shocks are out of our control - so why should you follow a plan that doesn’t take these things into account. You are not letting yourself down if you have to alter the path from time to time.

2. Schedule a time

Scheduling time for specific activities has been a great practice for me. I prefer to workout in the morning, so I tend to schedule my workout time first thing in the morning, before the day's distractions set in. I do this in other aspects of my life also, and it tends to help me keep on track, without causing any unnecessary stress.

But scheduling time for fitness or meal prep requires practice. So, just like goal setting in incremental stages, scheduling blocks of productivity also requires realistic progress. For example, if you’re not an early morning person, but you recognize that it will be the best time for your schedule to get that daily movement in, then start slow. You don’t have to start out at 4AM, crushing workouts 5 days a week. Set your alarm earlier by a few minutes over time, and for a day or two a week, until you can get up at your desired time and workout more easily. And if you realize a month down the road that this still doesn’t work for you - revise the plan!

3. Find support

Changing any part of one’s life can be a challenge. We are a species that thrives in the comfort zone! But that does not mean we can’t make those changes! Doing it on your own, however, can be one of the biggest barriers to not meeting your goals.

Imagine if you set a goal to eat more vegetarian meals a week, but you are in a household that frowns upon veggies on the best of days. Or if you want to walk a couple of days a week, but your friends, family, or colleagues tell you it’s silly. The odds are against you in both scenarios (unless you have incredible willpower - and if that’s the case, you need to teach me!). 

Ensuring you have a solid support group is one of the most effective ways to help you reach a goal - particularly if it’s something very new to you, or the end goal requires a significant change. This doesn’t mean that this support system has to follow along with your plan, but rather, they should encourage you and cheer you on. So in the examples above, maybe your family isn’t keen to go veggie, but when it comes to meal prep, they are willing to prepare some of your preferred foods, or make you feel more comfortable when it’s time to sit down and eat (not teasing, judging, or making unhelpful comments, for example). Or, they may take an interest in where you went or something you observed after you get back from your walk.

Support systems are meant to provide encouragement when things start to get challenging, not to recruit others to follow your own goals. They are intended to provide a safe space to share frustrations, but also your wins - because you will have those along the way! And sometimes just knowing someone has your back is enough to keep you focused on moving forward.

So to close, accountability is an important component to reaching your goals. It’s not a perfect system to get there, nor is it a one-size-fits-all situation. These tips are what has worked for me, and they may not be what will work best for you! Find the things that continue to motivate you and keep you progressing towards whatever the final outcome may be.

If you struggle with keeping yourself accountable, consider joining a support group. Starting January 9th, I’ll be offering Mindful Accountability - a weekly check in for anyone looking to strengthen their accountability. Each week includes an hour long meet up, and homework for the week ahead. I will also be offering a number of programs ranging from strength training to cardio, for first time fitness to advanced! Find out more or register today.