The Psychological Benefits of an Accountability Partner

Benefits of an Accountability Partner

Look at you, with your big audacious — and ahem, totally attainable — goals. We are already so proud of your inspiring visions, your smart goals and your impressive bravery. Though, of course, you can do anything you put your mind to, there is never any harm in asking for help along the way. FemCity is a network of entrepreneurs (just like you) who feed off of positive energy and are always looking for avenues to improve and strategize their budding companies. One of the most effective tools you can use to achieve your dreams is an accountability partner. This person will serve as a career mentor and co-partner, helping you to overcome mental and skill-related hurdles, ensure you keep an eye on the prize, and, most importantly, celebrate all of your wins — no matter how large or small. 

In addition to improving your bottom line and aiding you on the path to a better business, an accountability partner also does wonders for your sense of self, your confidence, and your overall happiness. These psychological benefits can’t be discounted, since a positive mindset is essential to a successful boss lady. Here, we spoke with Los Angeles-based psychologist, Dr. Yvonne Thomas, Ph.D. to understand better how this type of friendship improves our perspective tenfold:

You can be vulnerable and honest. 

To the outside world (and your Instagram followers), you appear as if you have everything together. You are juggling the demands of your company and employees with the responsibilities of your family and personal life. You are squeezing in a workout as often as you can, eating healthy, and still pushing yourself to the next level, too. And meditation? Sure, you do that, too. But if you’re honest with yourself, you probably have super-low moments. And times when you want to throw the towel in on everything, hit reset, and jet-set off to Mexico. (We feel ya.)

An accountability partner allows you to share how you’re feeling, preventing you from feeling overwhelmed or frantic in real-time. As Dr. Thomas explains, the point of having this person in your life is to share where you are, where you hope to be and how you feel about your dreams, goals, progresses, impasses and set-backs. When you verbalize both the good and the bad, you can better process solutions and make meaningful changes. Sometimes, simply saying these phrases can transform your way of thinking:

• I feel stuck.

• I’m frustrated with XYZ.

• I don’t know how to solve this

• I’m afraid.  

• I need help.

Allowing your accountability partner to be your sounding board encourages stronger internal and external communication skills.

You will feel emotionally safe — but not babied. 

Even if your best friend will let you rant for hours, your partner will snuggle you into a supportive hug, and your mom will sing your praises, sometimes, you need more pointed advice. A career mentor will provide that: a nonjudgement, uncritical, safe place to express yourself. Rather than saying exactly what you want to hear, Dr. Thomas says a true accountability partner will ensure you feel emotionally free to be your most authentic self, and thus, giving you the ability to work through all road bumps genuinely. There is a time and a place for sugarcoating — but it’s usually not when you need to double-down and transform your business or take it to the next level. 

You significantly increase your odds of succeeding. 

Though 2020 has been an uphill battle with far too many twists and turns for most people, it’s also given many entrepreneurs an added incentive to dig in and go bigger than ever. Coming from a setback, pivoting during a pandemic, or reimaging your company altogether is a significant mind-bend — not to mention, an investment. The first step is setting specific goals, and then asking your accountability partner to keep you steady. If you enlist their help, Dr. Thomas says you significantly increase your odds to exceed. 

How come? Because they will hold you responsible by following through and reminding you of the importance of living up to the commitments you make to yourself, your employees, and your overall brand. This is usually done by frequent touch-bases — whether via Zoom, at a coffee shop or a phone call — giving you an exact date to work toward weekly or monthly. “When a person knows there are set times and another person he or she needs to give an update to about what has been done since the last check-in, this can help the person take things more seriously, perform at a higher level, and up the chances of getting better results,” Dr. Thomas adds.

You will become more self-aware. 

If you have ever been in therapy before, you likely felt more in-tune with your emotions throughout the process. Addressing areas of discomfort — personally and professionally — is no easy task, especially when you have to admit different hard facts to yourself. But the truth is, everyone can find a way to improve and to become a better, stronger human. And one of the most significant signs of maturity and leadership is having an acute sense of self-awareness. An accountability partner will help you to see some negative or self-defeating attributes you have, so you can acknowledge them and move forward. Plus, they will also boost your self-esteem since they will also force you to pause to see the progress you have made over time and honor all of your journey steps. Dr. Thomas says this type of mental pick-me-up is incredibly beneficial since it’s hard to find the same intrinsic details by yourself. 

You will be redirected back on the course. 

Even when you are ambitious, talented and motivated to meet all of your goals, everyone gets off course sometimes. Take, for instance, a female entrepreneur who opened up a wedding floral shop in 2019. She was booked solid for nearly every weekend in the spring, summer and early fall of 2020 — and then COVID hit. With no ability to host nuptials, the couples no longer needed arrangements, bouquets or arches. In an effort to be a kind business to work with — and to protect her future business — she only kept the deposits to be used at a later date and lost out on the rest of the cash. Struggling to make ends meet and feeling lost, she has some options:

• Downsize her business and look for additional work.

• Reimagine different revenue streams: events? Elopements? At-home delivery services?

In this case, her accountability partner could look at the numbers, consider the industry, and provide candid feedback. “He or she can be your reality check by letting you know if you are getting off track, as well as point out when you are going in the right direction, and provide motivation and emotional support if you are feeling stuck or demoralized while trying to reach your goals,” Dr. Thomas shares. 

If you aren’t sure where to find an accountability partner, consider joining FemCity! We help you find like-minded entrepreneurs in your area who will inspire and change your business (and life). We are the sisterhood for powerful growth.