3 ways to stop falling short of your goals 3 ways to stop falling short of your goals

Accountability. It’s a word you hear a lot in the world of health and fitness: “I didn’t want to get up for an early run this morning, but I stayed accountable!” But if holding yourself accountable was easy, we would have accomplished our goals a long time ago!

So why is it harder to stick to deadlines or goals we set ourselves than it is to get a project done when our boss demands it? And why do we give up on a challenge when we encourage others to keep going? Often, it comes down to a lack of self-confidence, questioning yourself, or a critical voice that stops you from moving forward.

Try these practical tools to keep yourself more accountable and stay on track to your goals.

1. Step it out

You don’t need to write your goal down in a journal and chart every step (though by all means go ahead if it helps!) But figuring out the steps you will need to get from Point A to Point B will make the goal real and attainable. If your goal is to run a marathon, chart out the practical steps to get physically ready for it – breaking it down into smaller stepping stones, from miles to recovery methods. If your goal is to save $5000, you may plan to save $500 a month for 10 months to accomplish it. Concrete, practical steps will create a greater outcome.

2. Recruit an Accountability Buddy

When we face challenges in life, we lean on the support of friends and family. Chasing a goal is no different.It is easy to minimize how much we need the support and care of others because we don’t want to seem vulnerable or incapable. However, as human beings, we are hard-wired for connection. When we share a goal with another person, it helps to facilitate greater progress – because you wouldn’t want to let your friend down, would you?

If your goal is to lose some weight, find a friend, group, or community that is looking to do the same. Feeling less isolated creates a greater sense of responsibility.

But remember, while it’s great to have a friend who pushes you to keep going, ultimately your No.1 accountability buddy is yourself – you have to take the support people offer you and run with it!

3. Be nice to yourself, but don’t go easy on yourself

Self-compassion doesn’t mean letting yourself off the hook, allowing excuses or settling for less. According to mindfulness expert Kristen Neff, “compassion also requires action: protecting, providing, and motivating change to alleviate suffering”.

What she’s saying is, being compassionate with ourselves can be the driving force for making change. For example: “I no longer want to feel unhealthy. My reason for losing weight is to feel better in my body, so I will hold myself accountable for exercising twice a week.” This is a reasonable, reliable, and compassionate approach that will help you move forward without inflicting self-harm, criticism or judgment on yourself.