Be More Productive With An Accountability Buddy

In 1898 Norman Triplett conducted a study measuring the speed of cyclists. He noticed that when the cyclists’ speeds were faster when racing against each other rather than against the clock alone. He then replicated this study with people of all different ages, doing all different tasks. The results where always the same.

We perform much better when in the presence of others.

Accountability works very similarly. We are more likely to complete a goal if we are held accountable to it by others. So how can you get started? Here are some high-tech and lo-tech solutions:

Coach.me – This app aims to coach you through any goal. Whether you want to lose weight or save money there are experts on hand to help. They have ready-made plans to help you achieve whatever you have your sights on. The app also has it’s own community, so you can find other people with the same goal for support and encouragement. The app is free but coaching runs $14.99 per week.

Stickk.com – Choose any goal and create a commitment contract with yourself. To hold you accountable Stickk has you put a financial stake on your goal. Stickk also gives you a referee who tracks your progress, to make sure you’re staying on target. Plus when you reach your goal you not only feel better, but you also have a bit of extra cash in your pocket. The service is free to use except for the money you pony up to be kept in line.

Dietbet – Dietbet allows you to join a group (or start you own) with the goal of losing 4% or 10% of your weight. In the beginning you put money into the pot and all the winners, who achieve the goal, will split the pot. The longer diet plan also has interim goals and prizes to help you stay on track. You can try it free for 7 days. The Dietbet fee is determined by how much you money you bet. For instance, a bet between $0-$99 comes with a 25% fee and so on.

Start A Mastermind Group – I have my own accountability buddies, which I call my Mastermind group. One of our members Jenny Powers has even written an article about the group on DailyWorth.com. We meet in person monthly for about three hours to discuss our goals. The four of us have a private Facebook group that we use to correspond and save documents. In between meetings, we use the app Wunderlist to add agenda items so we don’t forget about them. I’m so lucky to have found my group as I know many people struggle to find like minded individuals that keep me plugging along.

Gretchen Rubin’s Habit Group – Gretchen has just released her book Better Than Before, on how we can change our habits to achieve our goals. She is also encouraging people to start a habit group to swap ideas, build enthusiasm, give energy, encouragement, and hold each other accountable. Go to her website for more info on how to start a habit group.

What do you need to be held accountable for?