Group Accountability

I used to work alone and mostly in silence to achieve my goals. I am still not overly public about my day-to-day activities but have made conscious efforts to try and be more open. I wrote about a similar mindset shift earlier this year in my “Uplifting Others” newsletter. In embracing this shift I have found more enjoyment in some of my pursuits.

I believe in the power of working together to achieve goals and improve. Making goals or plans public to someone else helps to ensure the work will get done. You have at least one other person who can help hold you accountable on days when you do not feel driven to do so yourself. The group effort helps take the individual emotion and choice out of it. Instead of convincing myself I do not want to wake up early to go to the gym, I can have a friend confirm I am up. Not wanting to let them down, I get up. They in turn do the same because they do not want to let me down. Establishing a relationship with someone else to enforce this system of checks and balances helps create a sense of group accountability which ultimately elevates those involved to new heights. There is a reason Alcoholics Anonymous utilizes a “sponsor” system, group accountability is effective. Currently, I have group accountability in a daily push-up group, a book club, and in running. All 3 of these situations have different levels of accountability but all work for me.

On the flip side, I am not going to say you need any sort of group accountability to succeed. Many people are driven enough to do things themselves. They get up early in the morning on their own, they study for their test alone, they do not need anyone else. I will say I do not need anyone else for me to want to pursue new achievements but will say having others is a great help. Having others helps when I feel like I am going through the motions. Having others makes the work feel fun, like a group activity, instead of individual suffering (especially running!).

I also am not going to advocate for only relying on group accountability to improve your own life. At a certain point, everyone must make individual choices to set themselves up for success. No one cares more about your life than you do. That is a reality. Group accountability can help you through tough times and keep you showing up every day, but ultimately it is you who needs to act.

My main message today is if you are struggling to stay committed to something or want to make a change, I encourage you to find someone who can help hold you accountable. I believe as you go through this process with someone else, or other people, you will establish internal systems that also help you cultivate levels of individual accountability yourself.