The Value of an Accountability Coach

It is estimated that up to ninety percent of ourpseudo-accountability coach, even a friend, family
behavior is habitual. That means that up to ninetymember or co-worker, only a professional
percent of what you do, you do the same day inaccountability coach can offer proven strategies
and day out - often without conscious thought.to increase your level of success. Friends, family
This may not seem like a concern, until youmembers and co-workers can offer valuable
consider what percentage of your behavior isfeedback on their observances, but not much in
sabotaging your success. While you may bethe way of professional guidance. Besides, it's
aware of some of your bad habits, it takes thedifficult to really take advice to heart from our
guidance of an accountability coach to identify andfriends, family or co-workers. Sometimes the
bring awareness to all of the habits that arepeople closest to us are the ones we are most
confining you to your current reality.resistant to.
Most of us have a list of bad habits we keepFor the best results, find a professional
telling ourselves we will change, but never followaccountability coach that can guide you from
through on making them. Think about all the Newwhere you are to where you want to be. Before
Year's resolutions that never happened. And that'syou begin your accountability sessions, your coach
easy to do when you have no one to hold youwill ask you to create a very specific list of short-
accountable for the things you say you are goingand long-term goals that you would like to
to do or would like to do. Would you be more aptachieve. This goal outline will help your coach
to make the commitment to change bad habits ifidentify the habits needed in order to achieve
someone was holding you accountable? It's notthese goals and focus the accountability sessions
exactly comfortable to try to make excuses toto be most effective. Additionally, an accountability
someone else and you are more likely to followprogram will help you realize improvements in the
through on things you say you're going to dofollowing areas:
when you are held accountable for your actions,- Commitment to action
or there lack of. This is the idea behind an- Improved follow-through
accountability coach.- Increased high-payoff task productivity
Wouldn't it be great if our 'good intentions' worked- Increased confidence
the way that we think they should? Not even- Developing successful habits and thoughts
enthusiasm guarantees positive results. There'sYou and your accountability coach will set a
often a wide gap between our intentions and ourschedule where you agree to speak and discuss
actions. Poor follow through is a fact of life forthe goals outlined in the previous session. During
many of us. It not only threatens our health, butyour sessions, your coach will ask you to review
it also prevents us from achieving personal,the set of goals from the previous week and ask
financial, and career goals that are well within ourfor a status report on each.
reach.This process is amazingly powerful and produces
Good intentions don't magically lead to goodgreat results. When you are held responsible for
results. They are a start, but you must have theexplaining why you didn't complete a task, this can
motivation to take action. Desire is unfortunatelybe a very effective motivator. It doesn't feel
not enough and this is just the truth!good to make excuses, least of all to your
We fail to take the action necessary to be inaccountability coach. While there might be very
alignment with our good intentions. And while wevalid reasons why a task wasn't complete, these
might be frustrated, but somehow never changeare usually rare. My personal motto is, excuses
the negative habits. We stay in the same place,don't count unless you are dead. This may sound
repeating the bad habits that cause us endlessa bit harsh, but the point is to break the habit of
frustration.making excuses. You either did it or you didn't.
An Accountability Coach will hold you accountableWhy waste time with excuses.
to follow through with your "good intentions" andEven if you still have a tendency to procrastinate
call you on it when you don't. If this happens totask completion until the last day, you better bet
you, it will not feel good and you'll learn to just doyour Thursdays will be highly productive days if
what you need to do to avoid that uncomfortableyour accountability session is on a Friday. While
"in your face" feeling of accountability. In order toyour coach will encourage you to take daily action
get what you don't have, you have to learn toto avoid procrastination, one highly productive day
break the habits that got you where you areis still better than no productive days.
now. An Accountability Coach will help you getYour accountability coach may also suggest daily
creative and try new strategies to move to yourvisualization exercises to help you focus on goal
next level. With the expertise, objectivity,achievement. Sessions may begin by reviewing
creativity and insight of an Accountability Coach,your goals from the previous week, followed by
you will accomplish what you used to only intendoutlining your goals for the following week. After
to accomplish.your goals for the followingweek are discussed,
They will help you identify the habits and thoughtsyour coach will lead you through a visualization
that are sabotaging your success and hold youexercise where you will envision your goals
accountable for replacing the habits and thoughtsalready successfully completed. This visualization is
that are producing your current results withincredibly effective and focuses the mind on the
improved habits that increase your level ofactions needed to fulfill your visualization.
success. None of us is perfect and each of us hasWhen you have to answer to an accountability
badhabits and thoughts that are limiting ourcoach, you will improve your commitment, focus,
success. The longer we wait to change bad habitsfollow-through, and productivity. Additionally,
and thoughts, the longer we will continue tohaving an accountability coach will increase your
produce our current reality. To change yourconfidence and develop successful habits. You will
environment, you must change your habits andalso see a reduction in procrastination because
thoughts. It's like changing from the old vinylyou will have deadlines to complete your goals, or
album record to a new audio CD playing.be held accountable for their non-completion.
While anyone can act as your