Why Accountability Will Get You Where You Want To Be

You’ve tried time and time again to ‘get back into working out’. You’ve set your alarm extra loud, you’ve taken that before photo, you’ve bought some snazzy new workout clothes – but you just can’t keep it up! One week seems to go ok, but the next week something comes up and you’re just too busy.

Sound familiar? We’ve all been there at some point in time. Some time and time again! You just sort of get stuck in a rut and can’t climb out.

Its a bit like being in a hole thats just above head height. Its near impossible to get out – unless you have amazing willpower and strength. The only way you’ll get out is by having someone else in the hole with you. That person needs to be similar size and weight as you – and they need to have the same goal – getting out of the hole. If you have two people of very contrasting size and weight, its going to be hard to get out. If you lift out the lighter person first, they won’t have much chance of pulling you out. If the lighter person pushes you up, chances are they won’t get very far. If you’re similar in strength and size, it will be easier to get out of the hole. You depend on each other.

Such a person can be termed an accountability partner. You’re accountable to them. Once out of the hole, you can only account your escape to the other person, and vice versa.

This is the way you will get to where you want to be. Say you want to go running everyday. Go and sign up a friend of yours to call you everyday and make sure you have done it. Better yet, get them to go running with you. If you live with other people, get one of them to give you a ‘look’ when you reach for that soda.

The best accountability partner is your spouse/partner. This is because they know you best and can be honest with you – and you can be honest with them! Even better – you can both get into working out and have a whole lot of fun doing it. Nothing like getting ‘back in shape’ together. Of course there will be cases where this is not applicable – so sign up a younger/older sister or brother. If you have to, bully your Mom or Dad into it. Bribe your BFF, pay your bodyguard, sweet talk your neighbor – anyone. What works even better is if there is more than just two of you. Think of the hole scenario again. Its hard to pull someone up out of a hole. Its easier if two of you are pulling. You’re still all achieving the same goal – but its attained in an easier way because there are three of you to help each other along.

My accountability partner is Elliot. For obvious reasons. He endures a lot. I go through so many phases – ‘I’m better at working out than you’. ‘I can’t control what I eat’ ‘I look fat’ ‘This whole workout thing SUCKS’ ‘I’m not wasting any more time doing this. Its just not working’. Emotions huh? Thats why your partner needs to be able to handle it! Its not easy – it really isn’t. But if you have someone close it makes it more bearable.

So really, your accountability partner is going to have to do a whole lot more than start running with you and telling you off for eating junk food. They’re going to have to be your punching bag, your sounding board, your vent. What you’re asking when you’re on a mission to seek an accountability partner is someone really special, who has what it takes.

And of course, it goes both ways. Do you have what it takes to be someone’s accountability partner? Stop doing it by yourself today! Very very few people ever achieved something monumental on their own. You really need a team behind you, with you, every step of the way. Accountability will get you where you want to be!

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Three Week Blitz – Week 2 Day 2

Well I got through another day. This time tomorrow I’ll be  halfway through.

I must admit though – I felt really depressed today. I’m not really making any progress that I can see. I’m still the same weight (I know, its not about weight – but still!!) and I have bad posture and keep eating too much. However, the weights are getting easier to lift so I must be doing something right!

 

I did Tuesday of Mahler’s kettlebells. I added a few reps in too so I’m getting somewhere. After that I hauled out the kiddie punching gloves and socked the punching bag for 6 mins. It’s a long time! I was puffed after that for sure.

 

Food today was:

Smoothie made from bananas, pear, raspberries, black currants, and kiwi. Such a nice pink colour! I mixed it with some milk for breakfast.

During the day I ate too much again. Some almonds, some frozen raspberries, some chicken (even the stuffing – ack!) – then I was given some avocado, tomato and salmon for lunch. It was nice as! I also consumed a couple of feijoas and an apple. Dinner was authentic butter chicken with rice and steamed cauliflower, carrots and peas with a bell pepper, tomato, celery and avocado salad.

We even had dessert! I cut up a whole lot of apples, an orange, almonds and black currants into a casserole dish. Covered that with a mixture of cornflour and water and drizzled it with some organic maple syrup. That was put into the oven for a bit. I was hoping it would cake up a bit but it was just a bit syrupy and jam like. It was pretty good but it shrank down some and there wasn’t very much to go around. I had mine with yoghurt while everyone else had ice cream. There, one good thing!

 

So. What I’m finding is that I’m not drinking enough water. I’ve said it so many times! I need to actually do something about it. I’ll get Elliot to badger me every day. Nothing like a good accountability partner (come back on Thursday for more info)!

 

Hooray, tomorrow I run.

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