How an Accountability Partner Can Help You Overcome Perfectionism
Having an accountability partner is a great way to help you overcome your perfectionism. There are so many different ways we can be held accountable by a person, phone, app, or a reminder we set for ourselves. Having an accountability partner is to have someone, or something to coach you towards the things you are trying to achieve. For instance, overcoming perfectionism, perhaps being more gentle and kind towards yourself, or just trying to meet those goals you set for yourself. In this article we’re going to have a look at three reasons why it’s important to have someone or something to hold you accountable.
3 Reasons Why it’s Important to Have an Accountability Partner:
1. Having accountability helps you get unstuck and out of your head. There are times when you can feel like you’re not good enough or you're feeling overwhelmed by the goals you’re trying to keep. Having someone or something to hold you accountable helps to move you along and also offers you a different perspective about how or what you’re trying to achieve.
For example, I have a personal trainer and my personal trainer gives me a lot of accountability in terms of getting me out of my head and away from thoughts like:
I’m not moving along
I’m not getting better
I’m not strong enough
He helps me see things in a different way that I didn’t expect.
Let’s be honest, I had to get a personal trailer during the pandemic because I was struggling to find the motivation to work out by myself. And when I was away in London, he sent me videos to keep up my workout routine and you know what? I only did the workout once. This really let me see how much I needed an accountability partner because I can really get stuck in my head in terms of how far I can go, and I need that external motivation to get me to where I want to be.
2. It helps to encourage you and helps you see that you can do it. Sometimes with perfectionism it’s really hard to see how amazing you are, and how far you’ve come. You can be so focused on the goal that you’re not even seeing you, and how great you are.
For example, let’s say you register for a mastermind group because you want to achieve certain goals that might be totally out of your reach. This group of strangers might see things in you that you may have overlooked. These mastermind groups can help you overcome those thoughts of not being good enough or not doing enough. The people in there hold you accountable so you can see how great you really are. They can also help you see that you don’t have to be perfect to do great things.
3. Lastly, accountability helps you in your areas of weakness. Let’s talk about relationships. Business relationships, therapeutic relationships, or even romantic or friendships are all types of relationships that can offer us the support we need. Maybe your business partner or friend supports you in a weak area you may have, because that’s their area of strength.
For example, let’s say you’re really good at going for long walks, or doing yoga videos at home, but you need someone who really pushes you to get that heart rate up and pumping, whether it’s to shed some pounds or to stay fit and healthy and to build more strength. Having a personal trainer is someone who will hold you accountable for going to the gym and really getting that work out that we all crave, but don’t necessarily have the motivation to do ourselves.
With perfectionism, oftentimes you feel like you have to do these things by yourself and there’s this sense of shame that you can’t do it all on your own. You feel if you can’t do it then you’re no good, you’re a failure or a loser if you have to ask for help. Generally it’s best to ask for help in our areas of weakness, because we usually don’t ask for help in our areas of strength right? We all have strengths and weaknesses, and it’s in our relationships where we ask for help, that we find a harmonious balance between giving and taking.
There’s also the possibility of using an app for accountability. For instance, a budgeting app. I have a budgeting app to help me with my finances, just to make it a bit easier, because pen and paper doesn't work for me. It doesn’t make me feel like I don’t know how to manage money, or that I’m not good enough, or all those feelings that come along with money. The budgeting app helps hold me accountable not just with budgeting but also my mindset around money.
What are the areas in your life where you feel you need more accountability, and is there someone or something that you can think of to help hold you accountable?
More Blog Post’s you’ll Enjoy
Overcoming Perfectionism by Letting go of Procrastination
Overcoming the Belief I am A Failure
How to Move Beyond Shame and Guilt
Relatable Podcast Episodes you’ll Enjoy from: It Didn’t Break Me Podcast
Breaking Free from Approval Addiction with Kimberly Valerie
"Embracing the And" with Faith Broussard Cade
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