
Why are you here…why did you accept your company’s wellness challenge?
Given the photo above, you may have assumed this wellness unit was going to be about the meaning of life or something far more existential than the question we’re asking. No, we just liked the photo.
But more importantly, we want you to think about WHY you decided to join this challenge. Were you hoping to look and feel better? Did you want to lose weight or body fat? Was it to boost your confidence? Was it because you wanted to improve your general health or performance? Did you really want to gain a wellness education that will stick with you for the long run?
Or…did you think, “I’ll join the program and check in weekly because it’s easy and I might win a prize or money each week?” Or did you participate in this program simply to be rewarded at the end with some sort of incentive that your company is providing?
Bottom line: if you’re here for the monetary or prize incentives rather than for yourself and a sincere desire to make a change in your well-being, then you’re here for the wrong reasons, and in the end, you won’t win at wellness.
Those words might sound harsh, but they are the truth.
This specific article is about Accountability…and what it really means to you.
“Accountability” – our fourth principle of wellness.
If you look up the definition of Accountability, you’ll find words like: “the obligation to report,” or “to be responsible or answerable to something or someone.” In a sense, all these are true when it comes to your Wellness Accountability. But what method works best for you? What will keep you on track for your company wellness challenge and beyond? What will it take to help you achieve your wellness goals?
When it comes to wellness, there are typically three forms of accountability: Group, Friends and Family, and Self.
Accountability to your “Group”
As this is a group program, you are in a sense “competing” with others in your company (i.e., your group). For some, this type of peer-to-peer accountability works well to keep them motivated.
We encourage you to take advantage of the fact that others around you are working toward wellness goals along with you. Asking fellow co-workers how they are doing with the program, talking about your own progress (successes and missteps), as well as sharing a milestone experience (for example: “I’m down 5 pounds since the start!”) are all examples of promoting accountability to the group.
Accountability to Friends and Family

Okay, this cartoon is clearly meant to poke fun at the gym-rat who wants to let his friends know he’s been working out.
However, there’s something to be said for letting others know you’re on a wellness journey. If posting your progress on social media helps motivate you to stay on track, then by all means, go for it!!
But at the very least, tell your family and close friends about the goals that you’re trying to keep. Studies show that people trying to make life changes, such as losing weight, were more likely to succeed if they told their families what they were doing.
Or go one step further and encourage family members to get involved. Like-minded individuals with similar routines at home will help you accomplish your goals.
Accountability to Yourself
This level of Accountability is hard to standardize across a wide array of individuals… and let’s face it, it’s even harder to maintain (e.g., after each trip to the dentist, we resolve to floss daily…how many of us keep that resolution?) Each of you joined this wellness program for your own reasons and with your own set of goals. And as administrators of the program, we cannot (or would not) enforce rules of personal accountability. And yet, there are ways we can assist you in staying accountable to yourself.
For one, set and review your Goals (i.e., your WHY). If you’re working with a program Workbook, consider jotting down your Goals in the front section. Then, each time you are recording in your Workbook, review these goals and ask yourself, “Am I doing what I need to meet this goal?”
At the beginning of the program, you likely weighed yourself and recorded that weight? But did you take your circumference measurements? If aesthetic change is one of your objectives, collecting these measurements periodically throughout the program can help you with accountability as well.
The results of these measurements may not be tied in to your company’s program rewards. However, if you want to make positive changes in these areas, it’s up to YOU to be accountable to yourself in terms of measurements.
Another tool to promote personal accountability is Knowledge. Are you really reading and absorbing the information in these Knowledge Metrics articles and related quizzes? Or are you skipping down to the Quiz and hoping you can pull the answers from the material above? Take advantage of the information provided each week. Make sure you’re really focusing on what’s being presented…re-read the articles if necessary. Sometimes the smallest morsel of information can help you through a plateau or get you back on track. Or it can even be a life changer.
This program is YOURS to win for YOURSELF. Not holding yourself accountable could result in having to start all over again.
Pep Talk
Determine your motivation for joining this program (i.e., your WHY).
Also, figure out what form of Accountability assists you in your journey. Group? Personal? Friends and Family? A Combination? Whatever or whomever your motivation is…put yourself in a position of being monitored and held accountable. The added pressure of knowing others have expectations for you can be a great motivator to stay on course
Week 9 Quiz:
1) Understanding and regularly reviewing your wellness goals helps to promote your success in this program.
a) True
b) False
2) It is generally a bad idea to get family members involved in your wellness initiative: a) False
b) True
3) Recording your weight and circumference measurements falls into what category of accountability? a) self/personal b) friends and family c) group d) none of the above
4) The three forms of accountability within this program are? a) sprinting, biking, rowing
b) group, friends and family, personal/self c) push ups, sit ups, sleep d) restoration, nutrition, conditioning
Once you've taken the quiz, click here to see how you did.
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