How to Become an Accountability Coach [In 3 Easy Steps]

Want to become an accountability coach but aren’t sure where to begin? It’s simple to get started, and I’ll walk you through the process step by step.

So, if you have a genuine desire to help other people make positive changes in their lives, you’ve come to the right place.

To become an accountability coach, you can follow this three-step plan: choose a specialty that sets you apart from the competition, demonstrate your credibility through skills and knowledge, and then practice and expand those skills.

I’ll go through each step in more detail and answer other top questions, such as “How does an accountability coach work?” and “Do you need to be certified?”

But before we get to it, let’s start with a little context.

After all, you might be asking, “What is accountability?” and “How can an accountability coach actually help?”

Well, consider this:

We’ve all met those people who wake up at 5 a.m. to run before work, meal prep like it’s their job, and never seem to miss a workout. Or, we have that hyper-productive friend who always manages to read three books a month and has fine-tuned action plans that they consistently follow through on.

And when you see them doing what they need to do to reach their goals, you can’t help but wonder, “What is this magic they’re using, and where can I get it?”

But:

The unfortunate truth is that most people aren’t taking consistent action towards their goals. Instead, they wait until they feel inspired or motivated to act. That’s why you see them going as hard as they can for a few weeks before fizzling out.

Somewhere along the way, their resolve breaks down, and their good intentions (and goals) go by the wayside. In the end, they’re stuck in this “on and off” cycle struggling to stick to anything longer than a few weeks.

But why? Is it a lack of motivation? A lack of self-discipline?

Or, is the real problem a lack of accountability?

In this post, I’ll tell you how to become an accountability coach, but first, let’s answer the most important question…

Table of Contents

What is accountability?

“Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to the result.” – Bob Proctor

Those who consistently hit their goals understand that the key to success is turning information into action, and that the best way to do that is through accountability.

But what exactly is accountability?

Haley Pulli, our Head Coach at MyBodyTutor, describes accountability as:

“Choosing to take ownership of and be responsible for your role in making decisions and taking action on your goals.”

She adds,

“Being accountable means revealing ourselves to someone else for evaluation. And allowing yourself to be held accountable is often difficult and uncomfortable, but it’s necessary to achieve our goals.”

Ultimately, being accountable means that you answer to someone for your decisions and actions.

So, if you want to stay consistent and make real headway toward your goals, the question is:

“Who are you accountable to?”

The two types of accountability.

There are two types of accountability, internal and external. Internal (or self-accountability) means that you hold yourself accountable for your choices and actions. If you say you’re going to follow a workout program or meal plan, you alone are the one that makes sure you follow through.

The problem is that holding yourself accountable seldom works. Because if no one is watching, it’s all too easy to skip a workout, take a week off, or stop altogether.

Most individuals need more than internal/self-accountability. They require accountability from someone other than themselves.

And a common way people try to fill the need for external accountability is to ask someone they’re close to for help. So they ask a friend or family member to check up on them and make sure that they’re staying on track.

But:

They soon discover that friends and family won’t actually hold them accountable. When the time comes to have a difficult conversation about missed expectations, friends and family aren’t up to the challenge.

You see, holding others accountable can be difficult (and at times a delicate) task. And the problem with asking those close to you to keep you accountable is that they don’t want to risk damaging the relationship.

That’s why they need someone who will deliver honest, objective feedback. They need a professional to hold them accountable; they need an accountability coach.

What is an Accountability Coach?

An accountability coach is a professional who helps others stay on track toward their goal. Like a referee, an accountability coach keeps an eye on your desired behavior and your actual behavior and makes you aware when the two contradict.

But it doesn’t end there…

An accountability coach will help identify the obstacles keeping you from making progress and help find ways that will move you closer to your goal.

Accountability coaches:

Help clients get clear on the goals they want to achieve,
Work with them to identify skills, practices, and sustainable daily actions for achieving their goals, and
Support clients through the entire process by holding them accountable for their actions.

In short, an accountability coach’s job is to help clients take the necessary actions that will make them successful.

How Does an Accountability Coach Work?

Have you ever wondered what an accountability coach does on a daily basis?

An accountability coach’s day doesn’t necessarily follow a typical 9-to-5 schedule. In fact, their days are pretty flexible. It depends on how many clients they work with and where those clients live.

Many coaches take advantage of this flexibility by traveling and exploring new places, while others stay closer to home and spend more time with loved ones. The main thing to remember is that clients depend on you to help them reach their goals, so it’s important to be available when they are.

On a daily basis, an accountability coach constantly communicates with clients to ensure they are taking action toward their goals. That means a lot of time is spent working with clients by email, text, phone, or video.

You never know what you’ll get when you open up a new email from your client! You may find that they’ve run into an unexpected challenge, that they need a little encouragement, or that they are dealing with some self-sabotaging behaviors. In any case, as an accountability coach, you’re there to help them find a way forward and stay on track.

An accountability coach completes these three essential activities every day.

The first is to set clear expectations because expectations set the tone for the coach/client relationship. Clients should understand exactly what they must accomplish and what the coach is looking for. Let’s say your client’s goal is to trim down and get in shape; one expectation could be that they keep track of everything they eat on a daily basis. When the client and coach agree to a set of tasks, the client knows what is expected of them.
The second is to routinely check in with clients to ensure they follow through on their commitments. This could mean talking to your clients daily, but the frequency of your conversations really depends on what your clients need. Some clients prefer weekly check-ins, while others need something more frequent. The most important thing is to make and stick to a check-in schedule.
And the third and most crucial task of an accountability coach is to hold clients accountable for taking action. If a client isn’t meeting expectations, the accountability coach highlights that fact, asks questions to help diagnose the problem, and sets new expectations if needed.

Seems easy enough, right? But accountability coaching can be very demanding. You must be willing to roll up your sleeves every day, knowing that it will take more than just checking in with clients to make them successful. You’ll also help develop goals, break down those goals into manageable steps, create timelines, and keep clients motivated.

Although accountability coaching is challenging, nothing is more rewarding than when all that hard work pays off, and your client hits their goal.

Now that we’ve covered what the day-to-day of an accountability coach looks like, let’s answer the question…

How do you become an accountability coach?

Accountability coaching is a relatively new field, although its popularity is growing as people turn to it to help them with goals they once thought were impossible. And because it’s growing, there are many opportunities to become successful in the field.

So, if you are passionate about helping others and willing to put in the hard work, here are…

Three simple steps to become an accountability coach.

Step 1: Choose your niche.

A niche allows you to be known for a specialty, and choosing the right niche is how a coach differentiates themselves from the crowd. Coaches who specialize are more likely to attract business because potential clients struggling in that area are more likely to seek you out.

When it comes to accountability coaching, you have a lot of options:

Health and Fitness
Productivity
Business
Lifestyle
Writing
Mindfulness
Sleep
Personal Finance
Relationships

The question to ask is, “What are your interests, and where would you want to spend your time if you weren’t being paid for it?”

Step 2. Get training and education.

There is no governing body that requires you to have a specific certification or degree to work as an accountability coach. And because it is a fairly new specialty, there are no legal requirements, such as a license, needed.

That said, if you want to become a successful accountability coach, you must constantly invest in your knowledge and skills. And one of the best ways to do that and demonstrate your credibility to potential clients is through certification.

One question I often get asked is:

Which coaching certification is best?

I recommend our course, the MyBodyTutor Accountability Coach Certification. We’ve been in the health and fitness accountability coaching field for over 15 years and can back up our experience with hundreds of success stories.

However:

If you choose not to get certified, make sure you have other ways to prove to potential clients that you’re capable of helping them reach their goals. And you can do that through work experience, testimonials, references, etc.

All of which brings us to the next step…

Step 3. Get to work.

It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s very simple: the best way to learn how to become an accountability coach is to start coaching. At first, this can seem overwhelming and scary. I know. Many people are worried that no one will be interested in working with them or that they will fail miserably.

But:

You learn more about swimming by getting in the water rather than standing at the edge of the pool, so nothing beats jumping in and learning as you go.

Even if you don’t have any paying clients yet or are still figuring out your niche, you can still practice coaching. Find someone who needs help with their goals and offer to help them for free (or in exchange for something else). You can do this by helping your friends, family, or coworkers be more accountable.

By just starting, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t. And as time goes on, you’ll develop more and more skills. And based on your own experiences, you’ll begin building your own body of knowledge about what it takes to become a successful accountability coach.

How Much Do Accountability Coaches Charge?

Accountability coaches might charge anywhere from $0 to more than $500 per month for their services. The cost is determined by a number of factors, such as your experience, skills, the number of clients you have, and how in-demand accountability coaches in your niche are.

You can get a sense of what to expect by reviewing the rates of similar coaches in your niche. For experienced accountability coaches with several success stories and testimonials, $100 to $200 per monthly client is perfectly reasonable.

And it’s not unusual for an accountability coach to work with 10 to 100 clients at any given time, so for example, a coach with 50 clients at the rate of $150 per month would make $90,000 a year.

However, the amount you charge is ultimately up to you.

Next Steps to Become a Coach

Accountability coaches are in high demand, and there are many opportunities for career growth in nearly every industry and niche. So, if you are passionate about helping others and willing to put in the effort, becoming an accountability coach may be for you.

Overall, working as an accountability coach can be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding jobs available. If you’re ready to get started and know your niche, check out the Certified Accountability Coach Program from MyBodyTutor.

How to Become an Accountability Coach [In 3 Easy Steps]