6 Tips To Find Your Accountability Partner

Sometimes the best thing you can have for your personal or career growth is someone to run the race with you – that one person or team to be your cheerleader on the days you feel stuck and help you get on track. Other times, a support system to exchange ideas and get a new perspective on a project or goal. Whether it be virtual or in a coworking space, finding an accountability partner could be beneficial to meet your short term and long term goals for the future. Here are some tips on how to find the right accountability partner for you.

Find someone you connect with

One of the most important qualities to find in an accountability partner is finding someone you have great chemistry with. This partner will not only help you flush out your business or project ideas, but your partner will help you get through those days you feel unmotivated and stuck.

While both of you can be on a natural high from working toward your goals, the reality is that at least one of you will hit a low. Keep each other up and talk about it.

Find someone you can learn from

One of the greatest investments you can ever make is time. By having an accountability partner, you both are investing your time in one another to reach those milestones and goals. It’s a learning process for the both of you, so why not learn several skills from one another along the way. There is always an opportunity for growth and knowledge.

Find someone who will give you tough love

An accountability partner shouldn’t just be a cheerleader, but a coach. They should be able to point out areas that need improvement and help you create a balance between overworking and slacking. While at some point you may not want to hear the reality of things, at least your accountability partner knows the journey from the beginning and will give you the tough love you need.

My accountability partner is someone who lives in a different time zone. While I am currently living in Guam, my partner Sarah is living on the east coast where we work around a 15-hour time difference. Here are some tips on how we’ve made this virtual accountability partnership work and how to also have an accountability partner in a coworking space.

Having a shared calendar

One thing I found useful was having a shared calendar with my partner. By setting up three goals a week with one another, the calendar alert keeps me on track and allows me to check in on my partner’s progress. Often times when we don’t meet our goals, we jump on a call to brainstorm on how and what prevented us from accomplishing the task.

Create a project together

If you and your accountability partner have similar interests, why not venture off into a project together. If it’s a short-term or a long-term goal such as writing more articles in a year or even moving to a specific location, creating similar goals also mirror similar interests. You both are not only accountable for each other’s goals, but also for your own goals because the project is a team effort.

Sarah and I recently started a Medium series called, “That One Time.” The main purpose of the series was to meet our overall goal of making writing into a daily habit, but we wanted a project to fuel our personal growth. While the purpose is to write, the passion is to explore. “That One Time” is a series that forces us to go beyond our comfort zones and try things we’ve been afraid of doing such as surfing an then writing about our experiences.

Send each other some motivation

It may be tricky to have an accountability partner on the other end of the world, but nothing gets your day going like reading an inspiring text message or quote from your partner. A simple encouragement in the morning can make all of the difference knowing that someone is rooting for your success.

It’s not only business

There is no fun if it’s all work and no play. Every once in a while, jump on a call or head to a cafe with your accountability partner to catch up. You also have to be accountable for a friendship and for their emotional, spiritual and mental well-being. Take a break from working and go for a jog, a concert or even grab dinner together. Sometimes the greatest ideas manifest just being in the presence of one another.

This article was contributed by Akina Chargualaf.