HOW TO USE PEOPLE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

 Achieving Success With An Accountability Partner

No man who desired success ever achieved it by himself.

As desirable as excellence and success is, one thing successful people will tell you is this: they never achieved it alone. People are always needed to help you on your road to success, and one of the ways you can utilise the presence of people in your life is in the area of accountability.

Accountability means having people who check you, people who you answer to, people who tracks your progress, help you monitor your goals and track your growth. People who act in this capacity in your life are called accountability partners, especially when you also reciprocate the gesture towards them.

Accountability partners are needed in all aspects of your life, and it could either be just one person, or a number of people handling various categories. Some of the aspects where you need such a partner include:

1. Academics

Getting excellent grades in school is a lot of work, but it’s easier when you have a partner to help you. An ideal partner would be a classmate who is as driven as you are in setting and working towards goals. Whether it is lectures, tests, assignments, or even exams, you should have a partner who would consistently work with you on this.

2. Spiritual life

As a person of faith, especially if you are a Christian, it is highly advised that you get a partner to help your spiritual journey. You should have someone to pray with, to study the Bible with, and even evangelise with.

It’s not always easy being a Christian, and it is probably the biggest task in the world you cannot do by yourself. Even the Bible recommends partnership in the faith. It builds your faith, helps you grow, and builds your leadership capacity.

3. Finance

If like me, you probably aren’t too good at managing your finances by yourself, you need a partner in that regard. It would be very helpful having a frugal person to help you tidy your finances when you are more given to spending, especially when your expenses exceed your income.

A partner should also be able to help you cultivate a saving habit. Ajibola would probably tell you more about this in a Fin Talk post someday.

4. Relationships

All is fair in love and war, right? There are fewer things that are more disastrous than a couple headlong in love, at the initial stage. The chemistry is usually explosive, and when the feeling is mutual, they could be sports car without brakes.

If you are in this situation, you need a partner to hold you accountable, probably someone older than you, and more experienced too. This would help you hold yourself together, even when it seems unfair to you and your love

5. Career

If you are a career person or an entrepreneur, an accountability partner could be very helpful in helping you stay on track. Research has shown that within the first five years of employment, over 60% of employees lose interest in pursuing their initial career goals. Studies also show that 80% of failed businesses die in the first five years too. If you are accountable, you won’t find it easy giving up on your business and career goals.

6. Social life

At social events and functions, it is always helpful to have someone with you. This is particularly helpful if you have to attend an event where you are relatively unknown, or you might be unfamiliar with the environment, or you just need someone to chat with.

It could also be particularly helpful if you have a very active social lifestyle, and you have a tendency to lose your composure or stability because you maybe drank a little too much.

Benefits of Having an Accountability Partner

1. You are better organised at executing tasks

2. Your work ethic is improved

3. Your goals are easier to meet

4. You have a strong support system

5. You would be less likely to suffer from depression

6. Your self-esteem is well boosted

 

Choosing the Ideal Partner

There is no universal guide for choosing a partner, but I’ll give a few tips:

1. If you are married, by default, your spouse should be your accountability partner.

This would help develop your relationship and boost the bond in your marriage. If your spouse is not very sound in a particular area, it might be helpful to have another partner, acting in a secondary capacity. The relationship should be strictly professional, and preferably with a person of the same sex as yourself.

2. If you are engaged, and you are in a serious relationship, your partner should be your partner too. You might not be married yet, but if you are realistically close to exchanging marital vows, it would be helpful to commit a significant degree of trust and accountability to your partner. With the right communication, this would grow your relationship better and position you for a healthier marriage.

3. If you are single, you are not left out, you need a partner too. The following guides should help you:

a. Ensure you have known the person for a while. Don’t just go around asking someone you just met to be your accountability partner.

b. If you are in a new relationship, especially when marriage is not in view, your partner is not an ideal choice for accountability. This is because chances are that you are still caught in the euphoria of hormones and reactions and you might not really be thinking straight. People in love at that stage are hardly disciplined enough to hold each other accountable, they are still strangers to each other.

c. Your proposed partner should be smart, disciplined, and caring about you.

d. The person should have a handle of the task you seek to accomplish. No matter how close you are to a person, that person has no business monitoring your finances if he is not god at handling his own finance.

e. Your partner should be easily accessible.

f. If your choice is of the opposite sex, ensure that there are no romantic sparks, or that they are well kept in check. The bestie thingy isn’t advisable here. Don’t go asking your crush to act as your accountability partner. Granted, things like this can lead to wonderful relationships, but put it as far away from your mind as possible while trying to build your life.

g. Finally, your partner should be sensitive and understanding. Insensitive people are the worst when it comes to handling such affairs. I’m not saying the person should be a softie, no. I’m saying your partner should not be one who pushes you too hard at the expense of your mental health.

 

Now you know why you need an accountability partner or why you should appreciate the one you already have. If this helped you, tell us in the Comments section, and if you want to share a story on this with us, reach out to us at twwblog1@gmail.com.

 

Stay smart!