Holding yourself accountable is one of the most important things you should do to focus on the right things, stay consistent, and reach new milestones.
A huge reason why people often struggle to reach their goals is they allow their focus to scatter too much, leading them away from the actions that genuinely matter.
To that end, we present you with five actionable tactics for keeping yourself accountable.
Let’s dive in.
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Involve Another Person
The best way to become more accountable is to involve another person: a friend, partner, or someone else.
It’s easy to give up when you don’t feel like it, knowing that nobody will notice. But if someone expects you to show up, giving up becomes much easier, and you feel more motivated to do the work, regardless of how you feel.
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Leverage Constant Reminders
Life can get in the way. Emergencies, family obligations, errands, work, and other things often detract people from their path.
One helpful tactic for staying on track and keeping yourself accountable is to leverage constant reminders: small or large things that direct your attention to fitness and other positive behaviors.
A constant reminder can be as small as packing your gym bag and putting it in the middle of your living room. That way, you’re reminded to work out as soon as you get home from work.
Other examples include:
- Lay an exercise mat on the floor as a reminder to stretch
- Put a book on your nightstand as a reminder to read before bed
- Have a bowl of fruit on your kitchen table as a reminder to eat healthily
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Set Big Goals…
Many people struggle to stay consistent because they don’t have a clear idea of what they are trying to achieve—because of that, giving up often feels easy. After all, what does a person have to lose?
Setting big goals serves three purposes. First, it provides a direction for your efforts. Second, it makes you more motivated because you can’t help but daydream of what it would be like to achieve something. Third, having goals tells you precisely what you would lose out on by giving up.
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…And Break Them Down
Having big goals is fantastic, but they can sometimes feel out of reach and vague. So, as soon as you set a big goal, break it down into monthly and even weekly objectives.
For example, let’s say you have a big goal of losing 25 kilograms in the next nine months.
Break it down into monthly and weekly objectives:
- 2.7 kilograms per month
- 0.65 kilograms per week
Doing so is great for determining what actions to focus on, and working toward a weekly objective keeps you accountable.
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Get Incredibly Specific
Just as lacking goals hinders accountability, going about something vaguely makes you more likely to give up.
For example, what would you miss out on if you skipped training on Wednesday? You need to have a specific answer, or you will struggle to keep yourself accountable.
Fortunately, research shows that having a specific action plan improves adherence to various things, including exercise, supplementation, and more.
To leverage the tactic, get specific on three things:
- What do you want to do?
- Where do you want to do it?
- When should it happen?
For example:
“I will do full-body workouts (What) at my local gym (Where) from 6 to 7:15 PM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (When).
Need extra help with prioritising your health and fitness? Book a complimentary consultation with our personal trainers. We can run you through a game plan of what you should be doing to get results.
