Staying Accountable for Your Habits
Creating new habits can be a whirlwind of excitement paired with a lot of work and attention. They may be going strong in the beginning but what happens when the honeymoon phase wears off? Creating ways to continue to be accountable for yourself can help prevent burning out and quitting a new habit. Accountability can be a struggle for many people, going into habit creation with a plan of how to be accountable along the way heightens the chance of success and smooth transition.
“Accountability is a tool used frequently in many settings to encourage people to follow a particular course of action” (Oussedik et al., 2017). When following a plan of action for building a habit some may forget to think about what happens after they start creating that habit. Accountability can come in many different forms and may vary depending on what a person finds the most helpful. Reminders and personal notes can be a way to remember how to stay on track. Other forms can include support from another person, this can be a partner, a coach, or someone within a person’s social pool. “People adhere better when they are held accountable, particularly when they are held accountable to people they respect and who care about them” (Oussedik et al., 2017).
Personal accountability may be the gold standard but having help from another person is a great way to stay on track and inspire motivation. Human beings are social, “social influences, social norms, and the anticipation of a social interaction are all critical components of accountability” (Oussedik et al., 2017). One may find a partner who would like to practice the same habit as them, an example could be a weekly walking buddy. Having set times or classes within your routine could also help to maintain a schedule around the habit-building process.
If the habit you are trying to stay accountable for is something more personal, finding a way to share this could also be through using technology. Food journaling, phone calls, or text messages can help maintain accountable actions from a distance. Utilizing a health coach has been shown to support accountability and increase the outcomes of success (Liddy et al., 2015). “While accountability is a social phenomenon, it does not necessarily require direct human contact, accountability partners help people keep a commitment, without the requirement of physical contact” (Oussedik et al., 2017). Whichever way works best to stay accountable is up to the individual, putting an accountability plan in place while developing a habit is a wise choice for success and longevity of habit attainment.
Overall tips for staying accountable
- Establish steps for accountability; a reminder, text messaging, a partner, or a journal log can be helpful
- Think about potential barriers and resolutions of the habit you are working on — having a plan in case barriers arise can help lower the pressure
- Speak to yourself and those supporting you with self-confidence, self-doubts will always come and go but reminding yourself you can do this can support personal accountability
- Groups or others who are going through the same process can be a helpful support system, building community and habits together forms a connection and multiple access points of accountability
Accountability can influence how to maintain these habits. Accountability can take many forms, some including; help from another trusted person, reminders, journalling or notes, etc. “Accountability is a tool used frequently in many settings to encourage people to follow a particular course of action” (Oussedik et al., 2017).
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Reference
Liddy, C., Johnston, S., Irving, H., Nash, K., & Ward, N. (2015). Improving awareness, accountability, and access through health coaching: qualitative study of patients’ perspectives. Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien, 61(3), e158–e164.
Oussedik, E., Foy, C. G., Masicampo, E. J., Kammrath, L. K., Anderson, R. E., & Feldman, S. R. (2017). Accountability: a missing construct in models of adherence behavior and in clinical practice. Patient preference and adherence, 11, 1285–1294. https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S135895
