In less than a year, I lost 40 pounds. I brought myself from being someone who couldn’t run a quarter mile if you paid me, to running a half marathon. In that short time, I reached goals I had never thought possible for myself. My Secret? I didn’t do any of it alone. Having an accountability partner for the daily habits it will take to reach your goals is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle.

“I get by with a little help from my friends.” ~John Lennon

My Friend, Bruce

When I first started running, I mentioned it one day to a friend & co-worker, Bruce. Bruce started asking me every morning if I had gone for my run before work that day.

He did that for a couple of weeks and then one day he apologized. He was worried that the question put me in an awkward position, and said he would stop asking.

Well, what Bruce didn’t know was how many times I had rolled over when my alarm went off and thought, “I could just run after work today. I don’t really need to get up this early.”

But then, I would think, “Crap! Bruce is going to ask if I ran this morning and I just can’t tell him no . . . especially when I know I won’t really run after work.”

One simple question each day upon arrival to the office was sometimes all the motivation I needed to keep moving  toward my goal! So, I asked Bruce to keep checking in with me.

I went on to complete a half marathon, and I don’t think he realizes just how much credit I give to him for his help in getting there.

Your Accountability Partner Might Not Be a Person

Overall, I have had one accountability partner who has not only supported me since Day One, but has been right by my side through it all.

My sweet little dog, Bentley wakes up with me every morning. He snuggles up on the couch with me while I read, he ran with me while I trained for my race and now we walk together every morning.

The best part about having a dog for an accountability partner is that he looks forward to our daily exercise together. If I try to sleep in, he just jumps on me until I get up. It’s hard to say no to that kind of encouragement!

 Who Is Your Accountability Partner?

It’s great to be a self-starter, but everyone runs into obstacles, or days we just don’t feel like working for the finish line.

Those are the days we need someone on our team.

If you haven’t visited my Facebook page yet, check it out now! “Like” my page, share it with a friend and post a picture of you and your accountability partner.

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