ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER

IRON SHARPENS IRON

I don’t know about you, but I know I am definitely more motivated to go to the gym if i’m meeting a friend

A significant predictor of whether people are going to stay on an exercise program is if they have a friend (either an individual or group) who works out with them. Connecting with other like minded individuals is critical to success. No man is an island and no man stands alone. It takes a village to raise a child and that same “villiage” can help you with other goals.

We are social animals by our very nature, and if we promise someone we will meet them at the gym, we feel really guilty if we do not keep our promise. Research shows that having a partner or “exercise buddy” can be highly effective at ensuring we will actually work out, not just talk about it.

According to Dr. Robert Cialdini, a well-known social psychologist, who has written a great deal about “social influence” and decision-making. His studies show that 1) peer pressure is powerful, especially when the decisions we are making are complex or ambiguous, and 2) the closer we are to the person or group we are comparing ourselves to, the more likely we are to be influenced by them.

When you turn up the “accountability” knob, its a motivator for a lot more than losing a few pounds. Compared to mentorship, a more hierarchical relationship—a peer to peer relationship seems to be easier to organize, and it is a more effective tool for making progress towards a goal.

Accountability partnerships work when they are a collaboration between two colleagues who like and respect one another your partner is someone you trust, who will keep you honest and moving on a path you set for yourself. And setting up an accountability partnership is refreshingly simple:

1. Find someone you trust to be your accountability partner (a different personality from you is good, maybe better).
2. Talk to them about your goals.
3. Get specific with them about actions you will want to take to meet your goals as well as consequences/rewards for taking or not taking them.
4. Set up regular check-in times (this can be a text message, no need to meet every time).
5. Revisit goals and strategies every once in a while to make sure you are on track.

An accountability partner doesn’t have to be someone who does what you do, it helps but its not necessary. Your partner doesn’t have to be super “networked” in your industry or chasing the same goals, in your city or even time zone. Your partner just has to be COMMITTED to helping you SUCCEED.
At the end of the day, we are much more likely to take action if someone is taking note and tracking our success

#fit #fitness #health #fitblog #workout #hiit

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