Why we're lifetime accountability partners

We have set some lofty goals for 2019.

One of those goals was to limit our spending because we kind of went overboard in 2018.

We knew we needed to really watch our Amazon purchases. And I was not too pleased with Ashley when a few packages showed up just days after we committed to this goal. I questioned her about it saying, “Did someone forget our goal?” Luckily, it was one of the 200+ purchases from 2018, not a new one.

We laughed over this, but it is a great example of what we must be able to do for each other this year and what all partners in any personal or professional relationship must be able to do.

We must hold each other accountable to the goals we have committed to.

Setting goals is really easy to do, but taking action on those goals and seeing them through is the hard part. One way to work through that struggle is to have someone who can hold you accountable.

Ashley is that person for me and I am for her. We have given each other permission to hold the other accountable. We can call each other out and remind the other about our goals together or the goals we hold separately.

Accountability is a key to success in achieving goals.

It drives me nuts when I go to a conference or workshop and the presenter makes you find someone in the audience to be your accountability partner. You know, someone to ensure you take action on what you learned from the conference? Like some stranger is truly going to be effective at holding me accountable....

When Ashley and I said, “I Do” we were committing to be each other’s lifetime accountability partners. How awesome is that?! Each year we renew our promise of accountability to each other when we set our goals for the new year.

As accountability partners here are six questions we continually ask each other:

Are you open to being challenged? Even though we have committed to be accountability partners, we still always check in with each other to make sure we have the others permission to challenge. Not every situation requires challenging questions. Sometimes you just need your partner to listen. When holding anyone accountable, especially a significant other, always ensure you have their permission. Protecting your relationship comes first.
Is this the best use of your time right now? We just love this question. It is one we try to ask ourselves, but it really hits home when we ask each other. We are procrastinators and we both tend to find things to do even when they are not getting us closer to our goals.
How is this related to your goals? This one is similar to the last one, but it pushes a bit further. You should be working on your goals every single day. If you aren’t working on your goals, chances are you are working on someone else’s. It is important that someone calls you out when you aren’t working towards what you said you wanted.
Is that target date realistic? There are no unrealistic goals, just bad target dates. We tend to think we can do things quicker than we actually can. Partners should not question the goal, especially if it is something important to the other or one you have set together. But you can always question the target dates. Remember that those can be erased!
What’s next? The most important word in the goal setting process is NEXT. Once you complete an action step, you must move on to the next one. If you accomplish one goal, you then move on to another. Partners should push each other to keep moving things forward. You can stop and smell the roses (see next question), but don’t stop too long or you may stop for good.
When and where are we celebrating? Be sure to celebrate wins along the way with each other. Don’t just move on the the next step right away, encourage each other to get excited and really appreciate what you have accomplished.
How can I best support you? This question is the most important. As lifetime accountability partners, your number one goal is not to hold the other accountable. It is to always fully support the other. We must ensure that we are not the obstacle to goals. We must be the solution however we can.