Show of virtual hands: Who has struggled tohold themselves accountable to their [modified pandemic] goals in 2020?...Yeah, same. Turns out there’s a good reason for it.

Studies show that holding yourself accountableto your goals is nearly impossible without the right structures in place. As Benjamin Hardy says in his book (which Ilove and you should buy), WillpowerDoesn’t Work, “Whether you want to get healthier, stop using social mediaso much, improve your relationships, be happier, write a book, or start abusiness — willpower won’t help you with any of these things.”

While we might think we’re lazy if wecan’t stick to our personal goals, it’s likely that you simply don’t have theright support systems to help you manage your time and focus.

My suggestion? Get yo-self an accountabilitybuddy like, yesterday. Here’s why:

 1)   Having a buddy makes workouts morefun. Workouts make you happy, and happiness helps you stay optimistic aboutmoving forward in life. Both Marnie from Runstreet and myself (as the creator of a social,interactive yoga movement) can attest, community is key. If somedays you just feel “off,” and you don’t want to put on your running shoes orroll out your yoga mat for the sake of your own joy, you’ll likely do itbecause someone else is counting on you.

2)   Loneliness is a killer (literally); your accountability buddy cancombat that by giving you a sense of belonging. Even if your buddy isn’t a“friend,” per se, they’ll still make you feel seen, heard, and valued as aresult of the inherent camaraderie that accompany social consistency.

3)   When others believe in us, westart to see greater potential in ourselves than we otherwise would haveacknowledged. Example: When I onboard new keynote speakers to my Divine YourStory website, many women express how grateful they are that I“finally gave them any excuse” to polish up their speaking reels and turn their15-minute corporate talk into an hour-long keynote. Simply by reaching out andsaying, “Hey, I think you can do this, and if you do this, it’ll help me, too,”it’s a call to action that helps us feel needed--and there’s no greatermotivator than a sense of purpose.

 Do yourself a favor and make a list of all ofthe people in your network doing work that you admire. Then, make a list of 3-5concrete goals you’d like to achieve in the next 90 days. Reach out to yourpotential new accountability buddies and propose a weekly check-in callschedule, and behold, as the magic of community helps you bring your wildestdreams into fruition.

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