Accountability is essential for getting things done. To make progress with anything, we need deadlines and drive. We need to follow-through on things when we say we’re going to do them. For many, this accountability comes in the form of a boss.
However, as an entrepreneur, or any other version of a self-starter, the accountability structure is much different. There’s no boss; it’s just you. The tremendous freedom this provides is accompanied by the stress involved in taking responsibility for your actions and doing what needs to be done.
Enter the accountability coach. This person is like a semi-boss. You don’t owe them anything, and they cannot punish you. But they do force you to own up to your actions, explain why things didn’t happen, and push yourself to be better. And this is usually done in a casual, friendly manner, to help ease the pressure you’ve put on yourself.
Deciding to hire an accountability coach is the easy part. Finding the right one is another story. There are now thousands of accountability coaches offering to help you. But fear not, for we’ve reviewed the best coaches out there and come up with a list of the top three. Overall, we consider Commit Action to be the best. Take a look at why we think this and also out other accountability coach recommendations.
What Does an Accountability Coach Do?
As we said, an accountability coach is like a semi-boss. They are someone you hire to help you accomplish what you want to accomplish. Of course, they have no real authority over you, but they instead bring to life the voice inside your head that is constantly telling you to get going and work on the things you want to work on, whether that be a business, your health, relationships, and so on.
To do this, nearly all accountability coaches will do at least some of the following:
- Speak with you on a regular basis to find out how things are going.
- Work with you to establish realistic goals that not only help you move forward but that also makes it possible for you to tend to other aspects of your life.
- Help you discover and implement new strategies that will make you more productive and give you a better chance of accomplishing your goals.
- Provide non-judgmental assessments of your approach. It’s totally normal for you to set a goal and not reach it. But for those with high expectations of themselves, this can lead to spiraling self-doubt and self-hate. An accountability coach will help you develop patience for yourself and learn from your shortcomings rather than use them to deride yourself and your self-esteem.
Each accountability coach will do things slightly differently, which is why we’ve taken the time to go through the different options and come up with the best three, but this represents the core of what an accountability coach will do for you.
What an Accountability Coach Doesn’t Do
Just as importantly, before you hire an accountability coach, you need to have an understanding of what he or she can’t do for you. This includes:
- Force you to work – this is strictly not their job. All they are going to do is help put you in the best position possible to work, but you have to be the one who actually takes the leap and dives in.
- Work for you – you’re paying them, but they are not your employees. Their only job is to help you get organized and be more productive, and that doesn’t mean passing off tasks to them.
- Make you change – much like psychologists or mental health therapists, an accountability coach can’t make you change. All they can do is provide a fresh set of ears to listen to your situation and advice to help it get better. Whether or not you choose to follow these suggestions is entirely up to you.
As you can see, an accountability coach really does the same things as any other coach: they help put you in the best possible position to succeed. The rest is up to you. But for many people, this is exactly the push they need.
If this is the case for you, then here are our choices for the best accountability coaches.
#1 COMMIT ACTION (Best for Entrepreneurs & Businesses)
What makes Commit Action the clear number one when it comes to accountability coaches is their approach. When signing up for Commit Action, you’ll immediately be assigned a personal aide. The aide will be chosen based on fit, be it personality, experience, what have you. This will be your aide for the duration of your collaboration with Commit Action.
This is incredible because it ensures you will be working with someone who truly understands you and the obstacles you face. For example, if you really struggle with procrastination (i.e. you’re the person who messes around on social media for hours and then has to cram in all their work in just a few short hours at the end of the day) then you’ll be paired with someone who has experience with this problem, which will allow them to make recommendations they know to have worked in the past.
Furthermore, when working with someone who has had similar experiences as you, it’s easier to reach an understanding, meaning they will have more patience for your problems and will be more suited to helping you find a solution.
Once you’ve been given someone to work with, and they’ve been informed of your situation, you’ll start to make a plan. They will help you organize your calendar, prioritize tasks, set realistic deadlines, and improve your mindset so that you can focus better and be more productive, all in a way that best matches with your personality and work style.
With Commit Action, you’ll also have at your disposal a whole host of resources to help make this easier. One thing we love is their app, which we found to be really useful. It puts everything in one place and makes it easy to share and communicate with your aide, something that makes the entire process less stressful and more effective.
But what really makes Commit Action an effective accountability coach service is the frequent communication. You’ll be scheduled for a weekly phone call, and you can expect at least one email in between to check progress. If you don’t meet a deadline or fall victim to some of your typical traps, there’s no scolding. Instead, you’ll have the chance to discuss what happened with your aide so that you can prevent it from repeating.
This constant discussion about your projects and deadlines helps to instill inside you that sense of accountability we would all like to have. To get more of this in your life, and to take advantage of a resource that will make you generally more productive, consider reaching out and connecting with Commit Action today.
#2 Kate Purtle Coaching (Best for Women Weight Loss)
Kate Purtle Coaching (KPC) is the number one accountability program for women who want to lose weight, build confidence, build a healthy relationship with food and themselves and create healthy, sustainable habits for long term change. We provide you with the fundamentals of a weight loss process; that being nutrition and training recommendations personalised to your goals, needs, preferences, lifestyle and previous experience, coupled with your very own coach who is there with you every step of the way supporting you, guiding you, motivating you, and most of all, holding you accountable.
Best for female weight loss. Has the following features:
- 1:1 Accountability Email Check Ins with dedicated weight loss coach
- Weekly Group Call for Support and Mindset Work
- Amazing community of women
- Mindset: change yourself from the inside out
- Individual nutrition recommendations, based on your likes and lifestyle
- Locations: International
Best for:
- Women looking to lose weight and feel more comfortable in their skin
- If you have tried every diet and failed, we can help
- Prefer flexible and non restrictive eating plans
- Looking for a long term change
- Wanting to improve their relationship with their self and food
#3 CBT NUGGETS
What helps set CBT Nuggets apart from some of the other accountability coaches out there is their willingness to make things work for you. They understand that for their program to work, they need to have buy-in from you; no one can coach someone who doesn’t want to be coached.
As such, the first step in working with CBT Nuggets is discussion. They want to know your goals and ambitions, and they also want to know which strategies you’ve tried, as well as which ones have worked and which ones have not. The goal is to find the right combination of things that will push you forward but that will also not drag you too far out of your comfort zone.
This is unique because it will help your coach come up with a strategy specifically tailored to you. Too many accountability coaches try to fit new clients into their existing strategy, but people are just too different from one another for this to work. At CBT Nuggets, you will be able to develop a plan that is entirely specific to you, which gives it a much better chance at succeeding and helping you get to where you want to go.
CBT Nuggets is a large operation, but you wouldn’t know it working with them. The only time this comes into play is in the beginning when they draw on their large pool of coaches to find one that’s right for you. Beyond that, it’s just you and your coach working towards helping you achieve your goals.
Interested in improving accountability and productivity? Then consider getting in touch with CBT nuggets today.
#4 THE ACCOUNTABILITY COACH
Anne Bachrach is “The Accountability Coach.” What’s nice about Anne’s service is her experience. You can tell she is really invested in helping you succeed. She’s been there before and knows how liberating and exciting it can be when you finally take the right steps towards reaching your goals.
Bachrach’s operation is small, but that helps make it better. The personal touch you’ll get working with Bachrach is pretty hard to find elsewhere in the accountability coaching space, so make sure to take full advantage of it should you decide to work with her.
This might mean spending a bit more time on the phone when you’re talking about a really important topic, or late-night phone calls and texts to help you through a difficult stretch in your plan. Either way, the level of commitment you get from Bacharach to you and your goals is really unmatched in this space.
Bachrach also possesses a keen ability to adapt to your needs. She recognizes everyone is different, and she isn’t going to try and force “her” method. The beginning stages of your collaboration will be all about trying to figure out the best approach. From there, she will step back and serve as a resource and as a source of accountability so that you can be more productive and get to where you want to be.
START IMPROVING ACCOUNTABILITY TODAY
The decision to go out on your own is sure to be one of the best you’ll ever make. But it’s scary, especially in the beginning. Realizing your success or failure depends entirely on you can easily cause you to shut down, contributing to all sorts of negative emotions and thoughts.
To help you get on the right track, and to make it easier for you to reach your goals, consider bringing in an accountability coach. We’re provided you with the top three to get you started, with Commit Action being the best of the best. Get in touch with them today and begin transforming your career and yourself.