Do you really want an accountability partner?

Are you self-motivated to get your workouts done? Or you need a little boost and support? Could an accountability partner help you reach your goals?

It’s said it doesn’t matter what you do when people are watching, it’s all about what you do when nobody is watching. The early mornings, the late nights, the extra hustle, is what makes you successful when it comes to your goals.

But what happens when you wake up that one morning and don’t feel like getting out of bed? Apart from your inner voice, who is there to shout at you to get up and do what needs to be done?

For some of us, there is no one. I think it’s important to find at least one person you can count on to be your accountability partner.

This person does not have to have the same goals as you or be involved in those activities. It doesn’t matter if you goals could are professional, fitness or personal. The point is to find someone that will be able to support you along the way.

Do you really want an accountability partner?

According to Wikipedia, an accountability partner is a person who coaches another person in terms of helping the other person keep a commitment.

People say they do until the rubber meets the road. Recently, someone I follow on Instagram said she needed an accountability partner because she wanted to be healthier (i.e eat better, workouts outside of the gym and someone to keep her accountable). I agreed because I know how beneficial an AP has been for me.

I have sent her messages asking about her goals for the week and given her tips on what she can do at home since she has a busy schedule. It’s fallen on deaf ears because her response is that she’s busy. I asked again this week about her goals so that I can support her and she said she didn’t have any.

Accountability partners, or APs, can help you when you feel like you don’t have the umph to go on, when you need that extra push and to be your cheerleader, But a good AP will also be someone who calls you on your crap. If you have a goal that you have shared, it is your APs place to help you get there.

What is an accountability partner supposed to do if you aren’t willing to help yourself? Should you hire a personal trainer or coach?

How has an AP been helpful to me?

When I ran on a more consistent basis and trained for half marathons, accountability partners were everything. I had more than one. A couple got out on the pavement with me to clock my miles. Others called to make sure I was out of bed, doing what needs to be done.

More recently, I have had accountability partners that call to make sure that I get up in the morning for my fasted cardio. There are many days that 6 a.m. seems way to early to get up and be productive. In the next week that will be pushed up because I shared with a YMCA group fitness instructor that I want to be a certified personal trainer and she agreed to mentor me. Guess what? She teaches classes and there at 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. For me, that means leaving my house at least 30 minutes before those classes to get downtown. Buy hey, when you ask for help and someone offers you do what you need to do.

I hope when I get back on the pavement to train for my only half marathon, the St. Augustine Half Marathon, my APs will show up again.

Why ask if you aren’t ready for accountability?

I often wonder why people ask for help if they truly don’t want it. The goal of having someone support your goals is just that. Someone supporting you can’t want your goals for you more than you want them for yourself.

If you know you aren’t willing to make a commitment to yourself, how can someone else do that for you? Being honest is key for you and the person that has agreed to give their time.

We all know that holding yourself accountable can be a tough job and you can come up with every excuse under the sun when you’ve only got yourself to answer to.