How to Hold Yourself Accountable to Your Goals

 I know how challenging it can be to stay on track with your goals. Whether you want to improve your skills, compete in tournaments, or just get in shape, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and how you’re going to get there.

But having a goal is not enough. You also need to hold yourself accountable to your actions and results. Accountability means taking responsibility for your choices, following through on your commitments, and measuring your progress. Without accountability, you can easily lose focus, motivation, and direction.

So how can you hold yourself accountable to your goals? Here are some tips that I use with my students and myself:

Write down your goals and review them regularly

One of the best ways to hold yourself accountable is to write down your goals and review them regularly. Writing down your goals helps you clarify what you want to achieve, why it matters, and how you’re going to do it. Reviewing your goals helps you remind yourself of your purpose, track your progress, and celebrate your achievements.

I recommend using the SMART framework to set your goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. A SMART goal is clear, realistic, meaningful, and has a deadline. For example, instead of saying “I want to be a better fighter”, you can say “I want to win the regional championship in six months by training five times a week and improving my striking and grappling skills”.

You can write down your goals in a notebook, a planner, a calendar, or an app. Whatever works for you. The important thing is to keep them visible and accessible. Review them at least once a week, preferably every day. This will help you stay focused, motivated, and aligned with your vision.

It can also help to set goals for yourself that can reach multiple end points. Setting a goal to compete in a tournament at a specific weight by the end of summer can have the benefit of helping you reach other goals, such as weight management or number of training days you want to make in a week. 

Share your goals with someone who supports you

Another way to hold yourself accountable is to share your goals with someone who supports you. This can be a coach, a training partner, a friend, or a family member. Sharing your goals with someone else creates a sense of accountability because you know they will ask you about your progress, cheer you on, or challenge you if you fall behind.

When you share your goals with someone else, make sure they are supportive, honest, and respectful. You don’t want someone who will judge you, discourage you, or sabotage you. You want someone who will encourage you, inspire you, and help you grow.

You can share your goals verbally or in writing. One of the things we really try to foster at the gym is a community of like minded people who help each other in achieving our individual and group goals, so please share with us your goals and anything we can do to help you on the path; however, part of this is also being prepared to have people check in and help you stay accountable. 

Create a reward system for yourself

A third way to hold yourself accountable is to create a reward system for yourself. A reward system is a way of rewarding yourself for achieving your goals or completing certain tasks. Rewards can be anything that makes you happy or satisfied, such as buying something new, watching a movie, eating something delicious, or taking a day off.

A reward system helps you hold yourself accountable because it gives you something to look forward to and motivates you to work harder. Rewards also help you reinforce positive behaviors and habits that lead to success.

To create a reward system for yourself, you need to decide what rewards you want and how often you want them. You also need to make sure that the rewards are proportional to the effort and the results. For example, if your goal is to win the regional championship in six months, you can reward yourself with something small every week for training consistently, something medium every month for improving your skills, and something big after winning the tournament.

Using your coaches

A fourth way to hold yourself accountable is have a professional instructor/coach. A professional instructor/coach is someone who has the knowledge, experience, and credentials to teach you techniques, strategies, and principles. They will also help you design a personalized training program that suits your goals, needs, and abilities.

Using our gym and coaching staff helps you hold yourself accountable because we provide guidance, feedback, support, and accountability. We will help you set realistic and challenging goals, monitor your progress, correct your mistakes, challenge your limits, and push you beyond your comfort zone safely.

This is an investment in yourself and your future. It can help you achieve faster results, avoid injuries, prevent plateaus, and reach your full potential as a fighter.

Conclusion

Holding yourself accountable to your goals is not easy, but it’s worth it. Accountability can help you stay on track, overcome obstacles, and achieve your dreams. By writing down your goals, sharing them with someone who supports you, creating a reward system for yourself, and having a professional team behind you, you can increase your chances of success and enjoy the journey.