Achieving Goals with the help of an Accountability Partner

What is your New Year's resolution? It's that time when people are setting goals for the new year. The top six resolutions include losing weight, getting organized, spending less, enjoying life, staying fit, and learning something exciting. Research shows us that 8% of people are successful in achieving their resolution, while 24% never succeed on their resolution every year. What makes some people successful while others fail? One factor that helps people achieve goals is being held accountable for their actions. We are encouraged to find an accountability partner to support us along this journey. This is a concept I would like to explore a bit with implications that reach beyond New Year's resolutions.

When we work with teachers on technology integration, those who come with another teacher from their school tend to arrive together, work together, and support each other. A recent article that was shared with me by Guy Trainin looked at The Role of an Accountability Partner in Goal Achievement. We all need "an accountability partner who will challenge, motivate, mentor, encourage, and inspire you to achieve maximum results." This article pointed out the top three benefits of working with an accountability partner:

(1) Accountability and Responsibility. Let's face it, life happens. Even the most determined person can lose direction and begin to make excuses, get busy, lose focus. An accountability partner can act as a sounding board to help us refocus on the goal and not get sidetracked by other things.

(2) Idea sharing, Creativity and Brainstorming. Especially when it comes to integrating technology, two heads are often better than one. Between two people you can troubleshoot to figure out new devices and tools. Two teachers can collaborate to plan lessons where technology is integrated in creative ways.

(3) Motivational Support. While we are motivated when we set the goal, remaining committed for the long haul can be difficult. When we share our successes and failures with someone they can provide positive encouragement at just the right time. A good Accountability Partner challenges us to help us achieve the goals we set while supporting us as we try.

I look forward to meeting with many new teachers and preservice teachers this semester who want to grow in their ability to integrate technology in meaningful ways. To support them, we will provide an Accountability Partner to travel the road with them; challenging, motivating, mentoring, encouraging, and inspiring each other to learn something exciting themselves that benefits their students. Best wishes to you too as you implement New Year's resolutions. Get and be an Accountability Partner, and let me know how it goes! All the best in 2016!