5 Reasons Why You Need An Accountability Partner or Group
Let’s talk about accountability partnership — something I have hugely benefited from and know you will, too. I have had accountability partners for business goals and an accountability group for financial goals, and in both instances, it has been the BEST decision. I have no accountability partnership horror stories, so it’s something I highly recommend to everyone. Now, before I share all about why you need an accountability partner(s), let me first define it for you from my perspective.
An accountability partner or group is simply the mutually beneficial support of designated and trusted persons, with the common goals to encourage, educate and challenge one another, while also holding one another accountable to achieve your desired goals.
Whether for personal and/or professional support, an accountability partner is so valuable, and here are 5 top reasons why:
Knowledge Sharing
We should always be learning, and it’s important to never discredit what you know. Things that may come second nature to you or that may seem trivial to you, could be paramount to others. For example, I have great consistency with sharing newsletters, and my accountability partner Keelay has great consistency with sharing social media content. Sharing our knowledge in how we individually remain consistent in those 2 different platforms in turn helps us both. Another example is my accountability partner Kai has great insight on the fashion industry, so she shared great advice with me that was beneficial for Glow Gear. In turn, I was a wedding planner for 10 years, so I was able to share contacts that would be useful for her bridal line. It’s the reciprocal give and take that pushes everyone forward.
During accountability meetings or in general, it’s important to share any relevant tips that can help your partner or group, and they should do the same. This helps the group grow collectively and individually. Don’t gatekeep! With my financial accountability group, we recently did a mini mastermind and it was a great way for each person in the group to get advice and tips on their question of the night. This type of synergy propels everyone forward.
Someone to hold you accountable
If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together. We are in this for the long haul, and the best way to stay in the game is to have someone to hold you accountable. Let’s face it, sometimes without help, we’re likely to give up when the going gets tough. That’s when an accountability partner steps in to encourage and remind you of the promises you made to yourself and again, holds you accountable to achieve your goals. When your accountability partner checks in with you to say, “hey, how is the task we talked about last time going”, this will likely push you to get going on the task, especially if you put it off.
Motivation to hold yourself accountable
Have you ever worked on a group project? The last thing I ever wanted to be was the person in the group who didn’t pull their weight. In the same vein, having an accountability partner pushes you to hold yourself accountable. Knowing that you both are working towards your individual goals is encouragement to keep pushing forward on yours. Who wants to be the person who comes to the accountability meeting and never has wins to share? No one. This extra layer of motivation keeps you moving forward when you might otherwise quit.
Necessary push to map out and execute on your goals
Working with an accountability partner or group is only successful when you have a vision and goals. Your partner can’t help you remain accountable if there’s no goal to execute on. Once you’re clear on your vision, your accountability meetings are there to help you map out and execute on your goals. These strategy sessions in a sense are there to help you build momentum and maintain clarity.
Community
As they say, the more the merrier. Having an accountability partner or group makes the journey more enjoyable as you work to achieve your goals. Your accountability partner(s) is the person who gets it, who can motivate you, who can challenge you, and simply is apart of your community or village. Just like a basketball team needs multiple players, you need others in your corner as you shoot your shots.
Do you have an accountability partner(s)? Let me know in the comments.
Have a glowing day!