Studying accountability
We do not live in a vacuum. (Although I think it would be pretty nifty to live one day as a shrunken person that could possibly live in a vacuum.)
There are all sorts of forces that affect us, for good and for bad. As a coach, I'm obviously interested in what helps promote positive change so get ready for some good nuggets below, specifically about accountability partners. The big picture? They work.
Study 1: Men and women are more likely to make a positive health behavior change if their partner does too, and with a stronger effect than if the partner had been consistently healthy in that domain. Involving partners in behavior change interventions may therefore help improve outcomes. So be an example (or force your partner to be one for you, damn it!).
Study 2: Setting an outcome when deciding on accountability is less productive than setting a method of completing the goal. Said another way, you’re more likely to become distracted if you’re goal-oriented than you are if you’re process-oriented. Neat, right?
Study 3: If you set a new year’s resolution, you may be about 50% successful. If you don’t set a resolution, you’re only 4% likely to be successful. Woah. That’s a big difference! (Okay, so this one is not totally an accountability thing, but I thought it was interesting).
Now, I can’t find the source for this, but this is one of my favorites that predicts the likelihood of completing a goal:
Having an idea or goal: 10%
Consciously deciding that you will do it: 25%
Deciding when you will do it: 40%
Planning how to do it: 50%
Committing to someone that you will do it: 65%
Having a specific accountability appointment with someone you’ve committed to: 95%
How neat is that?
Want change? Who is holding you accountable? Want my help?
