The 5 Keys to Staying Accountable to Your Goals

If you haven’t read my last article about goal setting yet, definitely go check it out first.

Have you ever started to work toward a goal but gave up part way in?  I think it’s safe to say most of us have since 80% of people who set new years resolutions fail to meet that goal. I would take a venture to say that it wasn’t the goal that was the problem, it was the accountability.

The thing about goal setting is that it can be really tough to stay accountable to yourself. When you fall off the wagon, there is no one there to tell you to get back on. In this article I will share with you my tips for staying accountable so you can follow through on those goals you set and that plan you made!

One of the reasons I have you make a detailed plan for your goal is for accountability. It’s all too easy to not do something when there is no plan. Wake up at 4am to run or stay in bed? That is a no brainer if you don’t have a plan… stay in bed! There is always tomorrow!

When I was just starting out on my weight loss journey I did not want to tell anyone because I was afraid of failing. I was afraid of saying “Hey, I’m doing a thing I’ve never done before.” If people knew, and I wasn’t successful what would they think of me? Truth be told, I had failed before. I had lost weight and gained it all back so why would I think this would be different? It was a full 30 days before I told anyone I was doing a thing and I only told someone because I was actually seeing results. What did I do to be successful in those first 30 days and how was this time different than the time I failed? I’m so glad you asked!

First things first. I paid money for a workout program library and the associated meal guides. When you pay money for something you are a little more likely to follow through because you do indeed have something to lose (that money you spent!). So, yes, I am going to suggest that you put some skin in the game if you are serious about your goal and you have the means to do so. Buy that gym membership, get that first bag of protein powder, pay for your dumbbells; you get to choose. Don’t go crazy, just enough where you will feel just a tiny bit obligated to do the thing because you spent money on it.

On day 1 of your plan… GO DO IT. DO THE THING. WAKE UP. Don’t you dare make an excuse. JUST DO IT. I hope I am not being unclear.

Get yourself a calendar. Each day mark what you did toward your goal on that calendar. For me, I wrote down my workouts everyday. In order to keep the habit, I even wrote down my rest days. This way I knew that I was taking purposeful rest and not just making an excuse to not do what I said I would do.

Find an accountability partner. Ideally, this is someone who is also working toward a goal so you can help each other and it’s not just them telling you to go to the gym while they slurp down a margarita and chow down on a taco. There is so much power in like minded people coming together and pushing you to do better. One of my biggest inspirations and accountability partner is my friend Liz. From the time that I met her she was inspiring me with her 5am crossfit workouts and she was listening to me say I could never do it. Until of course, she invited me to a workout with her. If it wasn’t for Liz I wouldn’t even be a runner let alone have ran a marathon with her! You need to find your Liz. It might take some time but she is out there.

 

Sometimes you need professional help, like a coach (like me!). This hits two areas - 1 you are paying for a service to help achieve the goal, therefore are more likely to follow through and 2 - you have a high level of accountability because you have someone right there cheering you on. It takes a high level of discipline to be able to stay accountable to yourself alone and it is not always easy to find your Liz, so there is no shame in hiring a professional to help you through. The beginning stages of your goal can be hard because you are creating new habits and they may be vastly different than what you are used to doing. Just getting through that first 30 days is the hardest part for many people!

Remember your goal is important to you. You wouldn’t be thinking about it every single day if it wasn’t. You wouldn’t have set the goal if it didn’t have meaning to you. What is stopping you from going from Point A to Point B? I'm here - cheering for you!!  You've got this sister. 

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