6 Reasons you Need an Accountability Buddy if You Want to Get Things Done

AchieverNet provides an Accountability Buddy service to help Business Owners and Executives achieve key goals and major projects.  Why?  Because we believe people sometimes need a little help to stay focused under the constant barrage of tasks that flood us daily.  And it seems other people agree.  This month’s post is from Guest Blogger, Frank Laughlin who explores the 6 Reasons an Accountability Buddy will help you get more done.

Guest Article

The Direct Benefits Of A Strong Accountability Buddy

There are many benefits to having an accountability buddy to help reach your goals and dreams. Naturally, they will push you to your limits and slightly beyond. Keep an open mind during communications to reduce the chance of failure. Let’s explore in more detail how an accountability buddy can assist you.

1. Confidential Information 

One of the best benefits of an accountability buddy is that when you share information, it will remain confidential. Even close friends and family members will not know sensitive issues that you share. Unless the activities are illegal or may harm someone, all information remains between only you and your accountability buddy.

2. Establishing Realistic Goals

Communication channels between yourself and an accountability buddy must continue to be bidirectional. Be sure to share details about your goals and what you want to do as well as specific time periods. The goals need to be realistic, otherwise no matter how accountable you are failure is a still a possibility. For example, if the goal is to lose weight several parameters can affect how quickly weight is lost. Some of these can be controlled by making smart decisions about food consumption and exercise. There are other factors such as genes and metabolism which can impede the amount of weight lost. Losing too much weight too quickly is also not healthy and can to lead to adverse side effects. An accountability buddy will help establish goals to ensure they are both realistic and attainable.

3. Accountability Buddy Efficiency

After setting a realistic goal, it’s time to come up with a plan. Your accountability buddy will already know the most efficient and effective methods. They can share specific tools that you may not be aware of which can make the task of reaching your goals easier. The accountability buddy can also better prepare you mentally for what to expect at every stage to lessen the chance of surprise. Being prepared for known situations and how to handle them is much less stressful than failing without knowing why.

4. Pushed Out Of Your Comfort Zone

There’s no question that to achieve an extended goal you will be forced out of your comfort zone and doing things that you normally wouldn’t do. It can include a change to activities, food, places, and people. As with any adventure, you must weigh the risks versus the reward and take necessary precautions. A good accountability coach will know when to push and when to hold off to make sure nobody gets hurt.

5. Consequences And Miscommunication

An accountability buddy also makes sure there are consequences if you stray from an agreed-upon plan. It is important that both of you understand and accept these consequences in advance to lessen the chance of conflict. For example, if the consequence is a financial penalty than establish the terms before it occurs. This punishment might include paying somebody or a group a sum of money. Both of you should determine how to settle disagreements which may include a third-party to make a decision both sides will accept. Be sure to stay in regular communication and don’t hold anything back.

6. Suppressing Negative Thoughts

Your accountability buddy can be a real or virtual shoulder to cry on when things get out of hand. It’s natural to get overwhelmed with all that is going on outside of your comfort zone, and this is okay. Rather than allowing you to kick yourself, an accountability buddy can help you keep a positive attitude and avoid negative thoughts. They may send you positive messages regularly to keep your spirits up until whatever it is has passed.

Throughout the entire process, your accountability buddy will confidentially help you establish realistic goals. They will push you out of your comfort zone while also providing you with the tools to be efficient and effective. Consequences of any action will be clearly established ahead of time to avoid miscommunication if you do falter. No matter what happens, your accountability buddy will help you keep a positive attitude from start to finish.

This guest post was written by Frank Laughlin. An innovator and adventurer at heart, Frank is committed to providing unique ways of inspiring ideas, sparking creativity and encouraging problem solving. As creator of ideas2apply, Frank encourages creative thinking via the exploration of topics from multiple angles. When not generating new and unique ways to help young minds explore and grow, Frank cultivates his need for adventure through frequent visits to theme parks, sports venues, and instrumental music performances.

Call us at AchieverNet on 1300 402 722 to find out more about Your Action Buddy, our focus and accountability program to help you get more done.  If you’re serious about getting your important things done, it might just be worth getting a little help!