I hear people say all the time that the one thing that’s holding them back from achieving their health and fitness goals is that they lack accountability.

What does this mean?

Accountability basically means you have someone checking in on you and making sure you’re doing what you said you were going to do.

It’s pretty basic … but extremely powerful.

It’s sort of like a form of peer pressure … but with good outcomes, instead of bad ones.

And it works the same way.

I can’t tell you how many of my clients have told me that having an appointment to work out -- whether it’s in the gym or on Zoom -- is a powerful motivator to show up. When you know your trainer and a few other people are counting on you to be there, you’ll be less likely to ghost.

When your coach asks you to log your food intake, or check off how many compliant and non-compliant meals you have each day … it’s going to have a pretty profound impact on your behavior. It’s just human nature … we behave differently when we know someone is watching.

Having a workout buddy is another powerful form of accountability. If you make an appointment with yourself to exercise, it could be easy to blow it off when other distractions that you perceive to be important crop up and get in the way. But if you’ve made an appointment with someone else, you’re not going to want to let them down.

Accountability can come in many forms. It could be something as simple as joining a public fitness challenge or posting on Facebook that you’re beginning a 7-day detox or 30-day workout challenge. If you’d rather keep things to yourself, journaling is a powerful way to hold yourself accountable.

Whichever method you choose, it’s been proven that accountability accelerates results … and that will ultimately make you happier and healthier.