Accountability – Who Knew?

Years ago a friend of mine wanted to communicate early every morning, via whatever form of instant messaging existed in the day, to motivate one another for the day’s goals. I declined, saying my husband didn’t trust the Internet security of such a thing. While true, and he still refuses to use any sort of typical social media, that was also an excuse.

I knew who would benefit from her request, and she would have been the only one. To me, the thought of needing someone to hold me accountable seemed ludicrous. If I am not going to get up and do something on my own, nobody else will make it happen.

Leave me alone and I get things done.

And I might reward myself with images of cute boys...

Fast forward to today. Perhaps due to the fact I’m so much older, and my body sometimes resists what I know needs done, my good intentions don’t always see fruition.

Then, as it happens, over the summer I made a close friend who has become like the little brother I never had.

We communicate almost every single day, most often via Facebook messenger. In an ironic twist, that’s turned out to be an insecure way to converse. But I’m rather addicted to our chats. And telephone calls are something I tend to dread. I’m much better at communicating with the written word.

But I learned something interesting the last few days.

Not out of any conscious intent, I tend to inform him of the day’s plans. That usually entails writing and exercise goals in response to what he has shared. And when I tell my friend Robert that I intend to, say, go for a swim, it disappoints me if I fail to do so.

I am simply more likely to follow through. If you’ll excuse me, now, I have to get off the Internet and get on my NordicTrack.

Do you have an accountability partner?

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