If you are having problems in keeping commitments, you probably need an accountability coach. An accountability partner is an individual who helps other individuals keep commitments. It is a valuable relationship. A study conducted at the University of Scranton made some interesting findings: As much as 92 percent of people without accountable partners fail to accomplish their New Year’s resolutions. So, there is a strong chance you are missing a lot by going without an accountability partner. Here are the benefits of having an accountability partner Another perspectiveIt is impossible to be good in every area of your industry, or anything else you may be doing. No one really expects you to. An AP is a valuable resource in helping you to look at situations from different perspectives. The AP will always have a different interpretation of challenges. This is essential in helping you make correct and unbiased decisions. Inbuilt cheerleaderMost of the time, our relatives and friends don’t really understand what is happening in our lives or businesses. It isn’t their fault. But if you have an AP with you, you know you have someone close to you who will celebrate your wins and see you through your struggles. Personal challengerIn life, you need someone who can challenge you to do the impossible or a person who can challenge what you believe in. Most of our friends and relatives would be afraid to challenge you even when they know you are wrong. An AP can serve as a personal challenger who would push you to the limits and help you achieve what you might have never achieved on your own. Basically, an AP keeps you grounded in reality, more than anyone else could. Whether you are a business owner or a person looking forward to improving your life, you need an accountability partner. 

Five steps to succeed with your accountability partner What can you do to get the most out of your accountability partner? These are the things you should do on your part to ensure that the partnership brings the desired results: Start by choosing the best AP you can find You don’t want to end up with an incompetent AP. Start by hiring the AP that meets your criterion. While referrals may be helpful, it is prudent to do the searching yourself.  Social media is one of the places you won’t need to look hard to find the right AP. I may be the right person for your accounting needs. Consider hitting my DM if you are interested. Declare the variables What do you wish to achieve during the partnership? What are your goals and objectives? Do you have anything special you would like to let your AP know before the start of the partnership? Be sure to outline everything you want to get out of the partnership. Prepare weekly accountability statements. Remember, your AP is here to coach you into becoming an accountable person. For this reason, it is prudent to list down the items (accountability statements) you promise your AP to complete before you meet again in the next meeting. Basically, they are milestones or small actions that are part of a larger goal that you need to achieve. You should only proceed to the next milestone after realizing the current. It must not be a 500-page statement. A brief accountability statement is always better and follows the ACT rule. A – Actionable: Do you have control over the goals? Are they realistic? Do you stand a chance of achieving them? C – Clear: The statement should be crystal clear and devoid of equivocation T – Time-bound: A good accountability statement should put deadlines on commitments. Often, the deadline is the date of the next meeting.