Where to Find an Accountability Partner & Why You Need One

Projects at work get done while your personal projects sit in the corner and glare jealously.

You turn to your personal projects and say, “Sorry, I can’t let my boss down.”

What if you had that feeling for your personal goals too?

The feeling that you’d be letting someone down if you didn’t get things done (someone other than yourself, that is.)

Not only that but what if you had someone to rile you up when your motivation starts to dwindle? Someone who would celebrate your successes as their own? Someone who would call you out when you slack off because they KNOW you are capable of so much more?!

Your personal goals wouldn’t be sobbing in the corner. They’d be a cornerstone of your existence. They’d shape your day-to-day life.

We would call such a person an accountability buddy.

(Honestly, I like the term accountability partner more. We are partners in progress. We mean business. Accountability buddy seems to be more common though, so I digress.)

An accountability buddy is someone who helps you achieve your goals, and whom you help achieve theirs.

Your accountability partner will keep you accountable. They will check in with you to make sure you are doing what you need to do and doing it on time. They will help you plan your success and work past your failures. When you forget why you are putting in all this effort, they will remind you.

Here’s what an accountability partner is not:

They are not your coach or mentor.

This relationship goes both ways. You are helping each other, and you will get what you give. This point is key for a successful partnership.

They are also not an expert. They won’t have all the answers. They won’t serve you a fail-proof plan that will guarantee success.

They will advise you as best they can, and you can work together to form a plan that will work for the both of you. You both will grow together, learn together and achieve together. You are both normal people striving toward a goal.

You don’t need science to know that if someone is going to ask you later whether or not you completed a task, you’re more likely to do it.

But we’re going to look at the science anyway.

The American Society for Training and Development published a study in 2010 that showed some really interesting numbers:

Committing to someone that you will achieve your goal increases the chances that you’ll actually complete it by 65%. Setting an accountability meeting with the person you committed to increases those chances by 95%.

In other words, setting up an accountability meeting makes you 95% more likely to achieve your goal.

If that statistic doesn’t have you searching for an accountability partner, then here are some more benefits of getting an accountability buddy:

Now, you’re hooked and you want to snag an accountability buddy right this minute, but…

Where are you supposed to find one?

1. Your Circle

Don’t listen to the haters. Many people advise against choosing an accountability buddy from your friends and family. They won’t be real with you. They will fear telling you what you need to hear.

It’s a valid point. But it doesn’t apply to everyone.

My sister is a terrific accountability partner. If I didn’t do what I said I would, she’ll go through a 15-minute dissection of all the ways I’m wasting my potential. She does not shy away from telling me what I need to hear.

She knows my life circumstances and helps me devise plans to achieve in spite of them.

When considering potential accountability partners, don’t scratch someone off the list just because they are close to you.

In my Accountability Buddies Guide, I go through the traits that you should look for in your accountability partner. If someone in your friend group is a good match for you, then by all means, ask them to be your accountability buddy!

2. Your Network

No one from your friend group is willing to give you the slap in the face that you need?

No problem.

You have a wider network to select from:

• Your college classmates would make great study partners.
• Your colleagues at work might share a goal or two with you, don’t hesitate to connect with them.
• The people at the New Year party are all dedicated to achieving their goal, ask one of them to be your buddy.
• The lady who sits next to you every day at the café, both of you working away on your respective tasks.

Don’t think narrowly. Everyone has goals. Everyone wants to achieve something. Asking someone what they are striving for is a much better conversation starter than “The weather’s nice today, isn’t it?”

3. Online Communities

Online communities are yet another place to find ambitious people who are looking for partners to achieve with.

If you’re a part of a Facebook group, ask there. If not, check out Reddit.

There are many Reddit groups where you can find accountability partners.

r/Accountabilibuddies and r/GetMotivatedBuddies are subreddits specific for finding accountability buddies.

Other subreddits where you can ask if anyone would like to partner up are r/GetMotivated, r/selfimprovement and r/GetDisciplined.

You can also find subreddits on topics related to the goal you are trying to achieve and ask there. In those subreddits, you are more likely to find people who are working toward the exact goal you are.

4. Meetup

A large group accountability meeting will never be the same as a one-on-one session. But, if you can’t find a partner anywhere else, Meetup meetings are an option.

Scroll through the Accountability meetups available and choose one that works for you.

Where you find your accountability partner isn’t as important as what you do after you find them.

• Determine what your goals are and how you need support in achieving them. Will you complete the tasks together? Or will you follow up with daily check-ins?
• Set a time for when and how you will have your accountability meetings. What will be discussed in these meetings?

Download the accountability meeting checklist

from the Accountability Buddies Guide that comes with the Accountability Tracker 2.0.  This eBook also contains

• Choosing the Right Accountability Buddy
• How to Be a Good Accountability Buddy
• Setting Up an Accountability Meeting
• Accountability Meeting Checklist
• Fun Activities to Do with Your Accountability Buddy
• What You Are Hoping For In Your Accountability Buddy Letter Template