7 reasons why you should have an Accountability Partner

One of the most underrated ways of staying on track is having an accountability partner.

They come with so many benefits, yet it’s very easy to ignore how useful they could be. So in this article, I will put out all the main advantages of having a buddy who holds you accountable.

Let’s begin.

1. They help track you progress.

When you have someone to report to, you automatically begin to track your own progress. Every time your accountability partner asks what you’ve worked on, you become more aware of the steps you’ve taken.

As you work together, you can even identify specific metrics to track.

For example, if your goal is to lose weight, you may set a goal to lose a certain number of pounds per week. Or maybe a process-based goal like what to eat.

This helps you keep a track of your journey.

2. They help you build better habits and break bad ones.

When you track things, it becomes easier to build or break habits.

I remember there was a time when I asked one of my good friends to be my accountability partner.

The point was I was trying to get up early, but sometimes, I would often prefer sleeping in the comfort of my bed. But because I had to track and report, I would force myself to wake up.

Then there came a point when waking up early became a habit. I no longer would get irritated if I woke up early. A habit was formed.

3. They give you feedback to grow.

Another thing that my accountability partner helped me with massively was with getting feedback.

As we tracked our progress, I came to realize that whenever I had trouble sleeping at night, in the morning I would end up in bed snoozing my alarm every time.

Then my accountability partner gave me an interesting tip to help me sleep early. It helped to some extent.

The point is when you have someone overlooking your journey, they bring a 3rd person’s perspective with them. So whenever you go wrong, there’s someone to give you feedback and help.

This is what helps one grow.

4. They cheer for you when you feel down.

On your journey to building new habits (or breaking the old ones), there will be days when you’ll feel unmotivated to do the job.

It could be that you’re trying to lose weight but you don’t wish to hit the gym. In such cases, who’s going to be there to cheer you on? Who’s going to motivate you when things get tough?

An accountability partner can.

I remember when I would go swimming, there were days when I used I had slept. Taking a tip into the water in the early morning wasn’t something that one looks forward to. So what is it that kept me going on days when I felt totally unmotivated?

It was my friend who would every day do swimming laps with me.
He would call me in the morning and ask if I was going to come. That really helped me overcome the tough early winter mornings.

And yes, there were days when I also did the same for him. Because we were each other’s accountability buddy, we held each other to higher standards.

5. They motivate you to push past your comfort zone.

Often without external feedback, we limit ourselves to our comfort zone. As they say – the human body will choose the path of least resistance.

In doing so, you sacrifice growth. 

But when you have somebody cheering you to grow, it’s very likely you’ll push past your comfort zone.

At first, I believed swimming underwater for 10 meters was extremely hard. Then my friend and I decided to tackle this challenge. At first, we would swim around 5 meters. 

Whenever things got tough, we could motivate each other to push past our comfort zones.

Then one day, we both were able to swim 10 meters. And a few days later, we were able to swim 20 meters!

A big part of that was because we pushed each other’s limits.

6. You form a better relationship with them.

One of the often-overlooked benefits of having an accountability partner is a chance of deepening friendships. 

When you work with someone to achieve a common goal, it creates a sense of camaraderie and connection. 

You gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. 

This leads to more trust and respect among each other, which can ultimately strengthen your relationship.

You may also end up getting opportunities for collaboration in the future. 

7. You get to coach someone

This one might go unnoticed but when you have an accountability partner, you could also serve as a coach and mentor for them.

It can be a rewarding experience, as you have the chance to share your learnings with someone who is working towards similar goals.

During the whole process, you could also learn a bunch of different things. First of all, you could share your own experiences and strategies for success, providing valuable insights and perspectives for your partner.

In addition, coaching someone can be a great way to develop your own coaching and leadership skills. You can help them achieve their goals, develop your ability to give feedback, offer support and encouragement, and help others to overcome obstacles and challenges.

Overall, it can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience from which you and your partner both benefit.

Conclusion

Having an accountability partner can be a game-changer. They help you track progress, build better habits, receive feedback, get motivation when you feel down, push past your comfort zone, a chance to strengthen relationships, and even coach and mentor someone.

By having someone to report to and work with, you become more aware of your actions and hold yourself to higher standards.

Moreover, the sense of camaraderie formed through the process can lead to greater trust and respect, potentially even opening doors for future collaboration.

So now that you’ve to know their importance, you can set a goal and start to search for one. You may find it helpful to find an accountability partner via these apps.