Why accountability matters
People have a love-hate relationship with the word accountability. Essentially, accountability means taking responsibility for your actions and for some, this can be difficult because it means making a commitment to something and potentially failing at it. For others, accountability has more of a positive connotation, and is a means of gaining control and getting things done.
At Plachecki Coaching, accountability is the number one way that we get results from our clients. It keeps our clients consistent with exercising, it improves motivation and it provides a sense of control in a busy world. But, in the trainer-client relationship, accountability works both ways. We are just as accountable to our clients as they are to us.
In our business, we ask clients to be accountable to their sessions which in turn makes them accountable to us and themselves. We ask them to commit to a time slot(s) every week, show up on time and complete the workout. In some cases, we ask them to complete homework workouts and check them off in a training software that we use to track workouts. And we ask them to reschedule if they cannot make their workout. These are ways that we get our clients in the door on a consistent basis, keep them engaged in what they are doing in the gym and also provide structure to their lives. Most people know that consistency, working out on a regular basis, leads to the best physical and mental results. Asking our clients to check off their workouts allows them to see their progress and accomplishments along the way.
Accountability helps with motivation. Motivation is one of the major barriers to exercising on a regular basis. When clients show up for their session even when they don’t feel like it because they have paid for it or we are expecting them to, it reinforces the notion that they can still exercise despite the imperfect circumstances. As time goes on, clients gain more confidence and resilience and want to come and exercise on a regular basis because they know that 99% of the time, it will help them feel better. From there, they have developed a habit and are seeing the results that they have set out to achieve.
We live in a very busy world and it sometimes seems like there isn’t enough time to accomplish everything we want. When we ask our clients to commit to a weekly session or multiple sessions, we are asking them to schedule in their workouts and take control of their time and health. At first, it may be difficult to do this because other priorities may have to be shifted but those appointments are a small way of taking back control of time. Once clients realize that they do have control over their schedules and can work their lives around exercise, they start working out regularly and seeing results.
As mentioned above, accountability also applies to us as personal trainers. We prepare our client’s workouts ahead of time, we check in on their goals, we accommodate injuries and limitations, we provide mental support and encouragement and we show up on a consistent basis. We care about our client’s outcomes and that is what motivates us to keep ourselves and them accountable.
Accountability is a core value of Plachecki Coaching. We have set a high standard for our clients and ourselves but we truly believe that this is the best way to achieve results. We are genuinely passionate about what we do and we will continue to work towards helping people achieve their goals, no matter how big or small they are.
