The Power of Accountability

Opinions are often varied when it comes to the question of sharing your goals and dreams with others, do you tell people? What if you fail? What if you change your mind? Won’t people tell you that you can’t do it? At LLUMI, we know all too well these worries and concerns. However, we also know the crucial need for accountability when it comes to achieving your goals.

Our advice? After engaging with countless individuals and helping them to achieve their goals in the fitness, personal and business world we definitely recommend sharing your goals with people. However, we do clarify this to sharing them with 1-2 KEY people, rather than everyone in earshot. Here is our reasoning:

1. Often when we dream ambitious goals and tell a lot of people, we encounter a lot of negative feedback, such as, “But your current job is so secure, you’re lucky to have it in the first place”, “You should just embrace your body as it is” and “Oh, don’t go and turn into one of THOSE people” – whilst the first two statements may be true (and we completely encourage our clients to appreciate and value their current state), the search for progress is fundamental in human satisfaction. So, to avoid the onslaught of negative feedback, we recommend sharing your goals and dreams to a couple of select people.
2. Choose your KEY people carefully. Often, they may not be the people who are closest to you, but someone who has either been on a similar path (mentor, or is likely to succeed on the same path that you are on (buddy). Those who know us best often have quite concrete expectations about our character and may resist change in our lives and personalities. Also, you do feel more relaxed about telling them that you didn’t achieve a goal. Entering an accountability partnership with someone that you know on a more superficial level has a host of benefits –
   1. You won’t want to disappoint them
   2. You will want to inspire them
   3. They are forming a new understanding of you and the changes you are making
   4. They are passionate about change in their own lives and will support you.
   5. New and solid relationships grow from these pairings.
3. Trying to achieve your goals without telling anyone leaves you to the mercy of any insecurities that you might have and the temptation to procrastinate and avoid behaviours that may be difficult, but are most powerful in leading you to your goal.

In order to truly Live Like U Mean It (What LLUMI stands for), sharing your path is much more effective than battling on alone. However, knowing that you are reporting to someone every week, fortnight or month keeps you focused and on track with your progress. Limiting your exposure to negative input also mitigates the tendency of self-doubt and temptation to give up. So, whether you hire an accountability partner (coach, trainer, mentor, etc.) or set up with a reliable and like-minded mini group, having an accountability partner is something should be high on your list of priorities.