Remote work has more pros than cons if you ask most people who are working from home. It has a few drawbacks save one that could make or break your career, procrastination! Putting work off even when you have the required time and resources is one of the biggest drawbacks of working by yourself.
Few people have the discipline to follow through with personal accountability goals. What's one to do to avoid spiraling down the deadly procrastination trap? Find a Virtual Accountability Partner.
What Is a Virtual Accountability Partner?
A Virtual Accountability Partner is a productivity buddy of your choice who'll help you keep track of your work goals in exchange for the same service. Unlike a work coach or a manager, a Virtual Accountability Partner is your equal in all respects.
Virtual Accountability Partnership is a mutually beneficial relationship where you'll be coaching each other, reminding each other to follow through with your productivity tasks, and checking in at regular intervals to ensure both of you are accomplishing your work goals on a timely basis. It's like having a work support buddy who'll hold you to account when you procrastinate.
Why Do You Need a Virtual Accountability Partner?
As disciplined as people think they are, most people get lazy with work and responsibilities when nobody's keeping tabs on them. With only ourselves to disappoint, we tend to shrug off failures with ease.
We are more engaged and productive when we enter into social contracts. This is the principle behind buddying up with virtual work partners. Being answerable to someone else besides ourselves gives us a better incentive to work, as does the fear of letting down someone who's counting on us to deliver.
Working with virtual accountability partners for remote work, as a concept, has been gaining traction since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, virtual workout buddies have been the norm since workout vlogs rose in popularity.
Things to Know Before You Engage With a Virtual Work Buddy
Before you sign up for a website or download an app, you need to understand the social commitment you're getting into. Answer the following questions before you approach someone to be your accountability buddy:
- What are the goals you need to work on?
- What's the time commitment you're ready to give?
- How often would you like to check in with your virtual work partner?
- Are you prepared to be a coach in exchange for some coaching?
- Do you require human intervention to get over your procrastination? Or, will an algorithm work for you?
- Are you comfortable working with a stranger, or would you prefer a friend or a colleague to work with?
Once you have clear answers to the questions above, you can find a partner who has a similar outlook, time commitment, and goals for working with a virtual buddy.
How to Find a Virtual Accountability Partner
Here are a few ways you can outsource your work accountability to get over the problem of procrastination:
1. Apps to Keep You Accountable
If you aren't comfortable buddying up with other human beings, you can let algorithms be your virtual work guides. Apps like Stickk, Accountable2You, and Beeminder help you set daily/weekly tasks, track your goals, and have features that result in negative consequences (like monetary losses) for missing out on set goals. It's like getting into a binding contract with yourself where not following through is a costly option.
2. Apps to Find Virtual Accountability Partners
You can find a virtual work buddy if you're ready to take this concept seriously. You can sign up on platforms like Coach.Me and Focusmate to find someone to work with you. Look for someone who has similar goals, is serious about getting their productivity up, understands the way you work, supports and guides you when you fall behind, and most importantly, does not slack with you if you miss your goals.
Besides these standard apps that help you connect with virtual work buddies, you can sign up with apps like Supporti to connect with people who need daily hand-holding or Get Motivated Buddies if you need a motivational boost to establish good work routines. You can also sign up with apps like Pavlok that help you break free of bad habits.
3. Social Media as Work Accountability Platform
If you're not comfortable working with a stranger, you can rely on your friends' group and social media associates to keep you accountable. Create a list of goals and share them online publicly. The fear of failing in front of an audience will keep you on your toes. It will make you more productive, as our tribal competitive nature kicks in when matters get public. It's like harnessing group power to pull up your socks and get working.
You can also join productivity groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google Communities to participate as a member with no 1:1 focus.
4. Friends and Family to the Rescue
People who know you are usually aware of your shortcomings, your working style, and things that motivate you. You can ask your friends, family, or acquaintances and see if one of them needs an accountability partner and if they would like to buddy up with you.
When working with someone from your social circle, you already have the trust factor established. Once you've found the right partner, use goal-sharing and tracking apps, virtual meetings, and other online resources to help each other hit the dreaded deadlines before time.
Benefits of Working With a Work Accountability Partner
Working with a partner will boost your productivity, as you can schedule virtual call hours to put in the work every day. Mutual motivation and support is another perk that you'll find immensely helpful in reaching your work goals. You can brainstorm ideas, collaborate on setting goals, and break down tasks into meaningful and doable action items to meet deadlines and finish your tasks on time.
Quit Procrastinating and Find Your Accountability Partner
Having a virtual accountability partner to support you and hold your hand as you navigate the tricky world of productivity, deadlines, and deliverables is quite a perk. Procrastination is inversely proportional to productivity. And you should make use of all available resources to get your productivity up and running with great gusto.