A friend left me a Marco Polo and she said - “I’m thankful for people who are expecting me at the gym because without them I don’t know that I would get up and go for myself. That accountability that someone is there waiting for me is what it takes for me to go and do what I need to do for my body.”

Hearing this from her is not the first time I have heard a version of that reflection. The sentiment of needing accountability so often comes with a twinge of not feeling good enough because we feel like we won't go the gym unless we have a friend or a trainer there waiting for us. 

Note: I say the gym for simplicity, but it can be for walks or jogs outside, dance, yoga, or whatever it is that you do for movement.

There’s nothing wrong with needing someone, paid or unpaid, to hold you accountable to do the thing; even when the thing is important and makes a positive impact on your health.  It’s normal. There are so, so many things we would not do if there wasn’t some sort of accountability keeping us on a certain path. I mean would anyone willingly pay taxes if we weren’t being held accountable by the government?  <And even then some people don’t do it!> 

Having an external accountability person is reasonable in these times. Think about it, we have to do exercise because very few of us have a manual labor job or lifestyle. Exercise for the sake of it is not really a natural thing to do, and when you have so many other demands on your time, and mental and physical capacity - going to the gym falls really low on the list - even when we know it will make us feel good to move.    

It’s not that we won’t do it for ourselves, it’s just that sometimes we struggle to do it for ourselves and that is what the tribe is for. 

Please join us for more on this topic on the Weight A Minute Podcast.