Choosing the Right Accountability Partner For You!

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Have you discovered the incredible worth in having an accountability partner? If you are looking to accomplish some goals or take on something new, an accountability partner can be a huge asset. However, you will need to take some time in choosing the right accountability partner for you.

Why do you need an accountability partner?

Accountability partners can support and encourage you, but they can also lend some advice, give new ideas, and bring you a fresh perspective. Perhaps the most important role that an accountability partner can play, however, is in holding your feet to the fire. If you have have chosen an effective accountability partner, they are someone who will call you on things if you are veering off the path.

Choosing the right accountability partner is key to their effectiveness since not only can an accountability partner not be of much help if you’ve not chosen the right one, but they can even be a hindrance if they are becoming an enabler to you in a way that is not beneficial.

With this in mind, I’ve got five things to consider when choosing an effective accountability partner.

1. Choose someone you feel comfortable in being honest with.

Being honest with someone means being able to share that you’re struggling or that you’ve misstepped without worrying about this person judging you or being disappointed in your struggle. The last thing you need in an accountability partner is someone who you feel the need to impress. You will need to be real with your accountability partner if they are to be able to effectively help you.

2. Choose someone who has regular and consistent availability.

For instance, I would be a very bad accountability partner to someone right now simply because the demands on my time are so great right now. I would not be available on a consistent basis if I were to be someone’s accountability partner. Sometimes when we are struggling with keeping on the right path we need someone who is there in the moment, right when we need them. If it will be several hours before they are able to offer you that support, their support will most likely not be all that helpful. Choose your accountability partner wisely from an availability standpoint.

3. Choose someone who is similar to you in regards to the thing they are holding you accountable to.

Sometimes the best accountability partners are those who have been there before. Oftentimes their firsthand wisdom and advice can be of such great value. If you are asking someone to hold you accountable to your fitness goals but they place little value on fitness, you can see how they may not offer you much support. Finding someone who feels relatively the same about fitness in this case would be most effective.

4. Choose someone who will offer you both positive and negative feedback.

This comes back to choosing someone who will support and encourage you but who will also challenge you to see this through. This is the type of person who won’t let you off easy and who will do their very best to keep you on course even when the road gets tough. This person won’t let you get away with things. While interacting with someone who will press you may not always be a fun thing, it will help keep you on pace to accomplish the things you long to accomplish.

5. Choose a goal-oriented person.

Again, choosing someone who has an understanding of what you are doing and why you are doing it makes for an effective accountability partner. Choosing someone who sets goals in their own life is so helpful to you. When someone sees the value in setting goals and working toward accomplishing them, they can be an excellent accountability partner.

If you have never tapped into the strength that an effective accountability partner can provide, this might be the ingredient that is missing in you accomplishing the things you set out to accomplish.

Of course goals can be accomplished without an accountability partner, they are certainly an asset if you have chosen well.

When it comes to choosing the right accountability partner, keeping these five concepts in mind can get you well on your way to success!