5 reasons accountability leads to commitment
Self-discipline is not your thing? Don’t do it alone
Every year on the 31st of December, we make resolutions. This is the year. This is OUR Year. We’ll get up every day at 6AM, go to the gym, meditate, drink less, sleep more… I could go on forever. Yet once we get to February, nothing has changed. 2021 will be the same as 2020.
We are all at fault for overestimating our self-discipline. After all, if so many others can do it; why can’t we? We focus on being individuals instead of making the most of what makes human — Communities.
Self-discipline shouldn’t be thrown out. The solution is under our nose. Accountability, by making sure we have someone to check in on us— an ally we can give regular updates to. By creating a network that can support usand pitch in. We can do it together, no need to be alone.
Accountability or Self-Discipline?
How hard will we commit to an objective? How strong is our resolve? The excuse we say the most is “I do not have the time”. Yet recently the lock-down increased that free time — nothing changed.
Self-discipline is “the ability to delay gratification, resisting short-term temptations to meet long-term goals.” Self-discipline is simply willpower. Florida State University’s Roy Baumeister says willpower is not the starting point. It’s the last of 3:
- Establish the motivation/Set a clear goal
- Monitor your behavior
- Use willpower to achieve it
We all struggle in delaying pleasure. “Why wait if I can be happy now?”. Although, a cigarette will give you immediate pleasure, the health benefits outweigh it in the long run. This basic human instinct was tested by Walter Mischel in his “Marshmallow” experiment. Children were told if they could wait 5 minutes before eating their sweet, they would get a second one. Imagine what happened to the first marshmallow… We struggle with willpower at all ages.
Accountability is a system that helps manage impulses. For example, by setting smaller targets. If I can do 1 day without a cigarette, I’m sure I can do 2. Step by step we get to our goal. Accountability is not a substitute for willpower but a complement. A tool that is at our disposal.
The Perks of accountability
Self-discipline is tough and it’s often easier to quit. The decision is ours. We are not letting anybody down. There is no shame in giving up if nobody knows — we want change. This is where accountability comes in.
Make it real
An accountability partner is just that. Someone that will check in often and push us to go at it. Sharing our goal with someone will make it real and tangible. If our ally knows about our plan — it’s no longer a fantasy it is an objective.
We should pick someone we look up to, as this will make our commitment strong. A study by Ohio State University showed that it is not only important to commit to someone but to an important figure. As their opinion will matter.
Checkpoints
Planning regular catch-ups is the key. It doesn’t need to be daily. Meet and discuss what worked and what didn’t. Don’t just talk write down and set targets to achieve until our next checkpoint. This will create smaller and seemingly more achievable goals. Make tasks “SMART”:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Although this concept was introduced for business management by Peter Drucker. I think it works brilliantly for self-improvement. No objective will be unattainable or vague. For example “I want to write more” is not SMART. On the other hand, “by June 10th I will have written 4 Stories about my trip to Costa Rica”; is no longer a vague idea but an objective that your accountability partner can check-in on. Having a goal will make each step more tangible.
Celebrate Small Wins
When working towards a goal — break it up in small bite-size tidbits. Smaller steps make the entreprise less daunting. Achieving these steps might not feel like much to us at first. But with an ally by our side celebrating each success — small wins will feel like progress. This could be celebrating each story written until we reach the fourth. By taking the time to smile at progress, our willpower will be strengthened.
Track your small wins to motivate big accomplishments. Teresa Amabile
A community
Starting anything alone can be challenging. When times get hard, giving up is easy. Joining a community that has faced or is facing the same challenge is a source of strength. Whether we are trying to quit cigarettes or we are picking up running. Having a team of people to share and ask questions to is priceless.
Not only will we find a support group, but studies have shown that being part of an organization increases commitment to a task. As it will not be one person holding us accountable but a group of like-minded people. The members of the community will have different journeys. Within the differences, we’ll learn and be prepared to face similar challenges.
Creativity
When aiming for a challenging goal, repetition can get stale. It‘s difficult to switch it up on our own. Working within a community or with a partner will help us get new ideas. I would recommend having an ally that is not an expert in the field as they will be able to suggest out of the box actions.
Strength lies in differences, not in similarities — Stephen Covey
Let’s do it together
Whether it’s giving up an unhealthy habit, starting a new hobby, or learning a language — it’s always easier to keep it as a fantasy. Committing and keeping it interesting is tough. But we do not need to do it alone! By surrounding ourselves with a group of allies — we grow strong.
Let’s find someone that will keep us accountable and check on us regularly. Join a community whether it is on social media, at work or elsewhere. People who have already started their journey towards the objective. Throughout the experience we must be grateful and when possible pass the knowledge on.
On one side of accountability is courage, on the other is freedom. — Jean Hamilton-Fford
