IN THE RING OF LIFE: DO YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER?

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The concept of accountability can be considered as the values of upholding certain standards of honesty, dependability, responsibility and excellence in execution of duties and human relations. To be accountable is to acknowledge your role play in happenings and making a conscious effort to right wrongs where necessary. Living by standards of accountability helps to ensure that your actions are undertaken with caution bearing in mind the repercussions of those actions on yourself and others in your sphere of influence.

Accountability can be enforced by the individual when he or she is honest enough with him or herself to identify, accept and remedy shortcomings when they occur. However, it is quite common for one to lose sight of such lapses due to human weaknesses and absence of a support system to keep us in check. This highlights the need to have an accountability partner. Here are some few reasons why you may want to consider having an accountability person - if you do not have one already.

  • A voice of reason. Having an accountability partner means you have someone to correct you when you are treading on the wrong path. It means being with someone who will be objective and correct you in love. The person will help you check in with yourself to ensure you uphold significant virtues of honesty, mortality, integrity and others.
  • Source of encouragement. Everybody needs encouragement occasionally as we go through life. This can be in various forms but ultimately, it helps the individual appreciate the positive aspects of life. Timely encouragement is relevant to remind you of the things that matter and why you need to keep pressing on when times are tough. Your accountability partner is a significant source where you can draw strength and encouragement when you need it most.
  • Source of motivation and support. A remarkable trait of an accountability partner is the role of motivation and support especially when you are in distressing situations. This has the potential to create in you, the needed inspiration and eagerness to function and bounce back into your best state. Having a consistent support system is a refreshing way of rejuvenating to celebrate successes and overcome hard times.
  • Source of learning to be reliable and dependable. An accountability partner has a duty to offer a dependable and reliable company when necessary to prevent experiences of damaging psychological consequences. Being reliable and dependable means being present at "odd" times and willing to make sacrifices to ensure that the life of one’s partner is better.
  • Driving force for excellence. Your accountability partner has a duty to push you beyond your limits positively to achieve set goals in good time. Humans are prone to experience complacency at certain times in life. Thus, an accountability partner is a helpful push to bridge such gaps and ensure that you shine and achieve excellence.
  • Established confidentiality and safe space. With your accountability partner, you should be able to be vulnerable and express fears and emotions without being afraid to be judged. There should be a code of respect for your secret personal information to be kept only between you two or any other person you both consent to.

It is important to select an accountability partner cautiously to avoid causing yourself more harm than good. This means that you need to have someone who will respect your personality and individual choices while he or she continues to guide you purposefully to achieve your vision in life. The person would respect your boundaries and be present to support you physically, emotionally, socially, economical and psychologically. Anyone who exploits you or abuses your vulnerability is not worthy to be your accountability partner. 

Note that, whereas it will be ideal that you and your accountability partner play the role in each other’s lives and vice versa mostly in the case of couples, there is no compulsion. The choice and freewill should be at your discretion exclusively. Everyone needs someone but hasten slowly in keeping an accountability partner lest you worsen your situation. Can anyone hold you accountable?

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