3 Tips for Effective Accountability

Written By Emily Bottegal, MS
 
 

They remember to jump on their PS4 every night at 9pm with friends, but they can’t remember to bring down the cups from their room.  

I follow my diet with precision for the first few weeks, but I just cannot stay on track.  

Why are we more inclined to do certain things or follow through with specific tasks, while other things fall by the wayside? 

One answer: Accountability.  

Accountability is what keeps Santa or Hanukkah Harry on track to create billions of gifts for 364 days then deliver everything in one 24-hour span. 

Accountability involves having to answer for one’s behaviors, choices, and outcomes.  It’s hard to hold yourself accountable if your goal is too lofty or not planned effectively.  

Here are three great tips to help you with accountability:

  1. SET A CLEAR OBECTIVE with smaller measurable goals along the way.  Start by writing down your larger goal, then spend time breaking that down into smaller, more manageable chunks.  Set short-term due dates or deadlines for each of these tasks to keep them relevant.

  2. PLAN IN ADVANCE as much as possible.  Be prepared to make mistakes and ready to show your resiliency skills.  One strategy we recommend for both young people and adults is planning for the WHAT IF and THEN.  What if I go out to dinner, then I order the grilled caesar.  

  3. FIND A PARTNER to help you stay on track.  When we know there is someone watching us or someone checking in on us, we become more motivated to follow through on our goal since we don’t want to let that person down.  Recruit a friend, family member, or coworker as an accountability partner.  For students, this might be a classmate you are body doubling with.  For adults, this might be a friend you go to the gym with.

If you’re in need of some more support + accountability in your life, click the “contact us” button at the bottom of this page to learn more about Executive Function Coaching for students + adults!

Emily Bottegal, MS

Ensuring students achieve academic, social/emotional, and personal success, Emily has a passion to empower students to succeed in and out of the classroom. Emily coaches from a strength-based approach and believes every individual has the ability to achieve success with the appropriate support and skills in place. She has dedicated her professional life to working with youth in school and community settings. 

Prior to joining the team, Emily worked as a School Site Coordinator and Home-Based Counselor in the Washington, DC area. In these roles, Emily engaged directly with students through individual counseling sessions and small group interventions focused on helping students meet personal goals relating to academics and managing emotions. Her direct experience helped her to understand the challenges individuals face both academically and personally, ultimately leading to her developing lessons around time management, scheduling, study skills, and organization. 

Most recently, Emily worked at a nonprofit, helping secure specialized instruction and support necessary to improve educational outcomes for low-income children with learning disabilities and developmental delays.

Emily has a Master’s degree in Counseling from Johns Hopkins University.

http://www.lifesolvedcoaching.com/who-we-are
Previous

6 Tips for a Restful Holiday Season
Next

Active Rest: The What, Why, and How