Good things happen when you commit to a goal. But something special happens when you’re held accountable for it.

According Dr. Gail Matthews, Professor of Psychology at Dominican University of California, that “something special” is success. A study Matthews conducted shows that when people write down their goals, share them with a friend, and send weekly updates to that friend they’re 33% more successful in achieving their goals compared to someone who simply sets a goal.

Success’ secret? Accountability.

Since I’m in a secret-sharing mood, here’s another:

I’m a Mormon.

I know, hardly much a secret. And actually, I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Mormon is just a nickname.

You’ve probably seen the missionaries. “Mormon” missionaries are all over the world—often times on bikes with super stylish helmets. When I was 19 and 20, I was one of them. On the streets of New Jersey, I wore white shirts, my favorite ties, and that classic black nametag.

It was actually during my 2-year, full-time missionary service that I first saw success’ secret in action.

According to the U.S. News & World Report, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the fastest growing faith group in American history. The church was officially organized in 1830—so it’s still an infant compared to most religions—and had a whopping 6 members.

Today church membership exceeds 15 million.

Kids as young as 18 or 19-years old lead the worldwide missionary efforts of the church. Think back to when you were in your late teens/early twenties—it’s hardly the age group you’d expect to be at the helm of the fastest growing church in American history. But it’s working and has been for years.

Accountability is a big reason why.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not about religion. It’s about accountability.

Legal Performance Enhancement

“When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates.”

This is a direct quote from the accountability section in the church’s missionary guidebook. Tracking and reporting progress on goals was an integral part of my missionary service.

Each mission in the world follows the same general leadership—District Leader, Zone Leader, and Assistant to the President (AP). This organization creates a way for every single missionary to be held accountable for his or her day/week.

When I was in Jersey, we had weekly accountability calls to review specific goals and actual performance. District Leaders called each missionary companionship (missionaries always travel in pairs called companionships) in their “district.” Zone Leaders called each District Leader in their “zone.” And the AP’s called each Zone Leader in the mission.

Literally every single missionary is held accountable for daily/weekly goals and progress.

This accountability helped me stretch, progress, and ultimately achieve lofty goals. Knowing that Elder Westover was going to call me and follow up on my goals made me strive that much harder to achieve them—especially when things got tough.

Your Ticket to Success

Dr. Gail Matthews’ study gives us a basic step-by-step guide to succeed with any goal. Here are those steps and how to maximize their effectiveness.

1. Write it down.

Physically write it down. Don’t simply make a mental note, or put it in your phone. Grab a pen and a piece of paper or a whiteboard and dry erase marker—anything physical that you can see. Then put it somewhere that you’ll see every single day. Maybe tape it to your mirror, computer screen, or put it on the fridge.

Don’t skip or underestimate the power of this first step. Remember, a goal not written down is simply a wish.

2. Tell somebody about it.

Don’t tell just anybody. Tell someone you know will be a champion of your success even when things get difficult and someone who will kick you into gear when you need it. Posting your goal to social media doesn’t count. You want an individual who will be your companion, confidant, and coach, not a few friends to “like” your goal-oriented status.

Feel free to tell the world about your goal, but make sure you have at least one person that’s willing to have consistent check-ins.

3. Follow up/be accountable.

Schedule it. Consistency is king. You want to make sure follow up and accountability happen at least once per week. Talk with the person you talked to in step 2 and find a time that you’ll be able to check in.

Maybe it’s a quick phone call on Sunday afternoons, an email every Monday morning, or talking on the subway during the morning commute—whatever it is, make sure it happens and that you really talk about your progress on the goal.

Make it a 2-way road, too. Ask them about a goal they have and follow up with them during your check-in calls—that way you both help to lift, motivate, and inspire one another and everybody wins.

4. Succeed.

If you’ve done steps 1-3 this one will eventually fall right into place. Don’t forget to relish in the thrill of success with whoever held you accountable, you’ve both earned it—ice cream usually works well.

Start Your Success Today

Success has a secret. That secret is accountability and it’s the biggest reason why the BENTRAINED Coaching Program is successful.

I want to help you take advantage of this secret to success. I want to be your companion, confidant, and coach as you transform from the person you are into the person you want to become.

Apply for online coaching today and we’ll start using success’ secret to your advantage.

Click here to apply.