We've all heard the word accountability but how many of us truly know what it means? The dictionary definition is, "the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility".
So for instance a lack of accountability has lead to a demise or poor action occuring. When we talk about accountability in relation to fitness & health it is a huge component & often a missing puzzle piece.
A coaches job is to provide education, support, guide you & hold you accountable. So when you get those 2nd thoughts in your head or stuck in the I can't be bothered mindset you know your coach is going to ask tomorrow; why didn't you get this done?
And for many of us that can be all we need to make sure we DO get our butts in gear & get it done! You may have already decided on what you want to achieve, what your goal is but haven't actually implemented the action to do so. You've done this several times now. Decided on the goal, made a rough plan but not actually followed through, sound familiar?
There can be many reasons as to why you didn't go ahead & follow through or stick to your plan but the majority of the time, a lack of accountability & having no one to be responsible to can often be the downfall. Even with all the goodwill in the world not taking action often comes down to this. I know for me I like having a coach whether that is riding, in business or for my own training. Why?
Because then I know I have guidance, support & I know each week I have certain objectives or criterias to meet & make sure I get them done. If someone else is putting their knowledge, effort & time into my coaching then I'm sure as hell going to make sure I use their accountability to get stuff done & uphold my end of the deal!
Often without anyone holding you accountable, you'll find yourself just stuck on that spinning wheel of procrastination & going round in circles without actually getting to that goal that you set. You just go around & around & become even more frustrated & inevitably end up giving up.
For the majority of those that achieve life-changing results within their health & fitness, studies have shown that those who got huge results started with an accountability led programme to begin with. Accountability doesn't even just come from your coach it can come from the community around you such as within my Event Rider Fitness community. This leads other riders to be motivated & take action as they are being held accountable by the group, they want to all share & celebrate their successes so they follow through!
Even for those of us who are intrinsically motivated & driven a bit of accountability really does go a long way! When you know you have to answer to someone else that changes everything!
So how could accountability mean you achieve your goals then?
Speed up your gains; with someone on your team & in your corner, you can have a clear vision from an outside perspective of where things are working & where they are not. This can help to iron out any creases in your approach & really speed up your progress!
You can bounce ideas off someone; you may have vague ideas or good knowledge on what you should be doing or what a beneficial training programme is but not 100% convinced your approach is the best. This is where having someone else to bounce ideas off can be really useful. You can talk through ideas, discuss the pros & cons, maybe a coach would bring some new ideas to your table or give constructive criticism & then you have a solid plan to move forwards with. Having the support to bounce ideas off someone is huge!
Accountability helps keep you engaged & invested; At the end of the day this is YOUR journey but having someone else supporting you get there can be the turning point you need to keep your engagement high. You know if someone else is putting their time, knowledge, expertise & effort into you you need to do the same in return! It will also help you to keep focused, avoid distractions & stay on track even if life isn't going quite to plan! If you know you have to answer to someone the next day you're not just going to bail are you?
Defining progress; Often when you're going it alone it's hard to identify if you are making progress. What data are you measuring to know if you're getting better, fitter, and closer to your goals? A coach will give you clear milestones & aims to achieve which then makes it clear to you exactly what you are aiming for & gives you clarity as to whether or not you are making progress.
Gives you responsibility; You'll probably think, but the coach will be the responsible one but not at all. This is your journey & you need to take ownership of that. When you work alongside a coach, this coach will push you to be your best, put in full effort & show you how to get results. Pretty quickly working with said coach, this will make you realise that YOU are responsible for your results. Yes a coach can support & guide but you have to be the one doing the action & taking responsibility. Working alongside someone & reviewing your progress weekly such as how I do in my coaching programme will keep you responsible. There is no room for excuses & this will most probably be a good self reflective process for you too!
Accountability is a tool we could all use & is most definitely a driver behind success. All of my programmes within Event Rider Fitness work because I hold my riders accountable & provide this level of accountability. If you need support like this then drop me a message & let's have a chat about how I could possibly help you.
Hope that was useful,
Katie