You Need an Accountability Partner (Or a Punch in the Nose)
My friends, I’m willing to bet that there’s something important you want to do.
Badly.
Problem is, you’re just not doing it.
Isn’t that frustrating?
It certainly has been in my life.
In fact, I’ve found it so frustrating that I created a game to help.
It’s called “Punch You in the Face.”
Here’s how you play.
1. Come up with “Your Thing.” It’s critical to understand that you get to decide what Your Thing is — not the internet telling you to drink grass for breakfast, not bosses with their stretch targets and not your spouse or a bossy younger sibling. You. It’s your thing. Only you know what the thing ought to be.
2. Find someone you love and trust, and share the thing with them. Then, commit to getting something tangible done in the next week.
3. At the end of the week, reconnect and have that person ask you if you did your thing. If you did, you get a high-five. But if you didn’t? This person punches you in the face.
4. Repeat Steps 1 to 3.
Great game, right?
Look, I’m not the punching type.
I don’t actually want people punching one another in the face.
Just think of the punch as a metaphor for accountability.
When was the last time you faced a serious consequence for not doing Your Thing?
If you’re honest, and you’re like me, the answer is probably never.
So, it’s time to switch things up.
The punishment is not important.
What is important is that we make ourselves more accountable for doing the things we say we want to do.
Editors note: This article was originally published a number of years ago and has been republished for the benefit of our many new readers.
