Purposeful Accountability is a purposeful approach to accountability partnership and explores how authentic and intentional connection and collaboration can remove obstacles and help us accomplish goals. Learn how to create a framework and tools to help you effectively incorporate purposeful accountability into your own life and find more moments of elevated joy.
Doing the thing you really want to do is possible. Doing big things with a circle of trusted collaborators using purposeful accountability is life-changing.
— Bev Carey
Our lives can often be quite linear, very good in one or two areas but lacking balance. To bring more balance across our lives, first, we need to figure out what we want to be doing and take steps to become more excited about the things we’re doing.
Accountability practical exercise:
Grab a pen and a piece of paper and answer the following questions.
WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD ACCOUNTABILITY, WHAT COMES TO MIND?
Here are some of the words our members came up with:
- pressure
- consistency
- micromanaging
- a tool to keep moving forward
ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERSHIP – WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
Here are some of the words our members came up with:
- having a support system
- more equilateral
- collaboration, community
- achieving our goals together
Think about the difference in the words that you came up with.
Accountability partnerships can offer warnings, sounding boards, clarity, uncover blind spots and celebrate wins.
- Uncovering blind spots: Others can often see what we can’t. Different perspectives can be helpful. Someone else’s practicality can see past your emotion
- Offering clarity: When you’re in the weeds another person’s perspective can help you cut through the weeds. Someone else’s practicality can see past your emotion.
- Warning light indicator: Having a partner can serve as a warning light indicator. They can help you see when things are going “green”, “yellow”, or “red.” When you do “hit a red”, stop. Reassess. Are you exhibiting unhelpful behaviors, or not feeling the joy you should be feeling by doing this?
- Sounding board: It’s good to have a sounding board. Someone you can talk to without fear and without judgment.
- Celebrating wins: We also need a space to celebrate and brag, to have support and humor, life doesn’t always need to be so serious. It’s good to share victories!
The stats back it up. Having someone to be your accountability partner greatly increases your chances of reaching your goal.
What is your due north, because it will help you create goals which are aligned with your values.
— Bev Carey
Accountability six-step process:
- Reflect and value alignment. Need to reflect to understand there is a greater reason to why we’re doing it. Spend time understanding your values first, if your goal isn’t aligned with your values you will have a hard time meeting it. Brene Brown Values exercise.
- Choose a partner or cohort. The best person may not be a close friend, partner, family member, roommate. Think about things like, what is your communication style: are they a good fit? Do you need gentle encouragement or something more forceful? What do you have in common / what’s different? If they have a similar schedule/lifestyle. Can you find compatible times to meet? Do a test run. Get coffee or dinner, try it out with 1,2,3 people. If you think they might not be a good fit for this type of partnership, be honest.
- Sign an accountability partnership agreement. Make it official, write down your expectations.
- Plan a structure or find a formalized program. Structure keeps you on track. Set intentions and lead conversations every meeting. This can be in the form of the same questions each time, it just gives you a way to get started and parameters for the conversation.
- Set Expectations. Each week set clear expectations with your partner. If you need your partner to just listen to you that week – say that. If you need advice – tell them you’re stuck and you need three ideas to move forward. You may need to be challenged. If you need an idea to be pushed and challenged to help you prepare for a big presentation or meeting make that the focus of your time together.
- Establish Clear communication. Get clear, talk straight, use affirming statements. Take lessons learned. Reflect back to things you’ve seen in the past, to help them move past a problem. Or ask them to tell you more. Be intentional with the way you’re speaking to get straight to the point.
Weekly accountability framework for work, family, home, self-care and giving-back:
Set a goal in each category, also know that you might not have the capacity for all 4 that week. Go to work book attached below and complete the exercise.
- Business/Work/Education
- One priority from your business, your job or personal/professional development
- Family & Home
- One priority of focus in your home or with your family.
- Self-Care
- One priority of self-care you can implement this week.
- Give Back
- How can you give back this week? What is one thing that is calling your name or clearest to you?
Personal purposeful accountability action plan and workbook
Take some time to go through the Accountability Action Plan in the workbook below. This exercise is something to work through with your accountability partner. Walk through the steps and questions to create a purposeful accountability partnership. It is recommended to spend an ample amount of time answering these questions with your partner.
