I know people that are naturally driven to get things done. They prioritize their goals and stop at nothing to reach them. When they commit to a new craft, they tackle it with passion and always see it through to the end. These are the types of people that sign up for a marathon by themselves and train for countless hours tracking every mile they run and meal they eat. Week after week they gain momentum as they get closer and closer to their goal. Nothing can derail their plans and they seem to have no problem making sacrifices to accomplish their mission. I have learned a lot over the years from being around these types of people, however, I am not like them and in general I think most people are not.  

When I was in college, my girlfriend (future wife) would make me brownies at the end of the week if I woke up on time to attend all of my classes. I used to joke that all it took was brownies to get me to go to class but truthfully it was more than that. I had met Laura and impressing her was more important to me than an extra hour of sleep. She was a great student/future teacher and would never have entertained a guy that didn’t at least try to succeed at school.  My relationship with Laura brought with it accountability that I really needed at that time.

Accountability in different levels of formality continues to have a huge positive impact on my life. Although some of it has developed naturally, other forms have been more intentional.

Opening up the home gym to friends continues to keep me working out regularly. I know it wouldn’t happen any other way unless I knew that at least one person is going to be knocking on the door if I don’t wake up in time to open the garage door. I meet regularly with guys that are leaders in our local church. Time together with them encourages me to stick to my convictions and share struggles that have gotten in the way. Meeting with business professionals that care about my career has opened my eyes up to better ways of serving my employer and preparing myself for the future. Like I said before, some of these accountability measures happened naturally, but they can also be intentionally cultivated.

So what’s the best way to build a network of accountability in your life? First, think about what you would like to accomplish. Then, identify people in your life that are naturally gifted in those areas and reach out to them or find friends with similar goals who would gladly join you in improving upon the same goals. Neither road is better or more efficient than the other. Both possess nobility, intentionality, and hard work but some avenues will be a better fit depending on the season of life you’re in.