Many of you already know what it takes to live a healthy lifestyle: eating healthy, moving your body, getting plenty of sleep and drinking half your body weight in ounces of water. Seems pretty simple in theory, right? Yet, so many people struggle with the consistency of living a healthy lifestyle. So is it really that simple?
Have you ever started a program, got bored and didn’t finish. You started something and didn’t get support from friends and family so you quit because of their opinions and beliefs. You started a program that seemed too difficult so you got defeated and stopped or you didn’t even start. Maybe you didn’t see results quickly so you told yourself, why keep wasting my time because this program doesn’t work? So you quit.
If any of these examples sound familiar, you are NOT alone! Oftentimes and for various reasons, we quit before we even get started or we do our own version of a program. If no one is watching us, why not? It is just a little treat or I can skip a few days. If I eat less calories than the plan says I should, then I will lose weight faster. No matter our goals, it is the little variations that slowly take us off the trail and soon we are headed in a completely different direction. Typically one that provides little to no success. Leaving us feeling defeated and unsuccessful so we quit, blaming the program and not our choices.
Sound familiar? It does to me because that was me, MOST of my life! However, for me, I didn’t think I could run, do the workout or move my body in any way because that’s what I was told. When you are told something long enough, both good and bad, It becomes embedded in your belief system. So to protect myself from what I thought would be self induced embarrassment and shame, I just didn’t do it!
I HATED getting hot and sweaty! I gagged on EVERY veggie but carrots and corn for MOST of my life. The story I told myself was that I didn’t have a palette for veggies so I wasn’t going to eat them. Why live a miserable life of eating food I hated? Never thinking about how I felt when I ate the foods that tasted so good yet, left me feeling physically and emotionally, AWFUL.
Then the unimaginable happened. All of my negative self-talk began to change with one statement. Something like, “Kristen, if you pick the 5k, I will train you to run it.” That was the craziest idea I had ever heard because I believed my body was not built to run. Walking it was one thing but RUNNING IT!? However, I was intrigued because someone believed I could run and wanted to train me, ME! So it began. My journey with accountability partners to create healthy habits, after I said “YES”!
3 TYPES OF ACCOUNTABILITY
1.SILENT ACCOUNTABILITY: These individuals have little to no idea they are your accountability partner. These are the individuals in your life that push you without saying a word because they are your “why”. They are the individuals that you want to lead by example because it is the only way to help them to live a healthy lifestyle. My most valuable silent partners are my girls and Jeff. I also consider all of you my silent accountability partners too. I practice what I preach so I can help others.
2. PARTNER ACCOUNTABILITY: You work 1:1 with these individuals. It might be a friend or family member that has the same or similar goals that you are striving to accomplish. This person has to be reliable, consistent and 100% committed or it won’t work. For this reason, coaches are great accountability partners. Hiring a coach is a financial investment in you so you tend to be more committed. Knowing the coach WILL show up means you will too. Also, you don’t want to waste your time or theirs so meetings are more efficient.
3.GROUP ACCOUNTABILITY: A group of 3 or more people. These are individuals who all accept responsibility for their own actions, share their goals and support each other in reaching them. The group, who is connected by a shared passion or mission meets regularly to report their progress from the previous week and encourages each other. They share their goals for the upcoming week and offer support to other members who might be struggling in certain areas. These groups are very effective if led by a coach or designated leader to keep the group check-ins coordinated as well as offering insight to guide them as challenges come up.
FUN FACT: According to The American Society for Training and Development, people are 65% more likely to meet a goal after committing to another person. Their chances of success increase to 95% when they build in ongoing meetings with their partner to check in on their progress. By adding an accountability partner to your life, you’re simply increasing your odds of success. Imagine the impact if you belonged to an accountability group.
WHY ARE YOU MORE SUCCESSFUL WITH ACCOUNTABILITY?
- You don’t want to disappoint someone you respect. So when you tell them you’re going to show up this week, you’re more likely to do so.
- You are more likely to let yourself down than someone else.
- If you tell someone what you are doing, you are more likely to stay on track and avoid those impulsive decisions.
- If you surround yourself with people who push you then you will push harder. If you surround yourself with people who don’t then you won’t.
- You learn from others.
- It is rewarding to see others succeed and triggers your competitive spirit.
- The journey is more FUN when you have a partner or a group of individuals to celebrate your WINS and support you when you fall!
HYOH or Hike Your Own Hike. Everyone’s journey is different. However, if you share the similar goals with others to live a happy healthy lifestyle, the trail to your summit won’t be as lonely, the views will be more enjoyable along the way and you will find more success!
I continue to have 1:1 accountability partners that I meet with weekly as well as groups. The growth never stops for me or for them. I look forward to every meeting with these amazing people. Not only for the support they give me but the encouragement I get through watching them succeed. They have become a key part of my success in all that I do. I am grateful for them EVERYDAY for taking the time to be my partners on my journey!
Curious about what type of accountability would work best for you. ALL of them! I would be honored to be your partner in health. I believe you CAN and will succeed. Just say “YES”!
Check out my programs page and set up a FREE connection call with me today!
emi – coach kristen
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