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Page 1: pdf 7 things that will help your accountability v4 · 2015-05-13 · You need a partner, not a double agent. Judges. When you ask some people to be an accountability partner, they

7 THINGSTHAT WILL HELP YOUR

ACCOUNTABILITY

By

Page 2: pdf 7 things that will help your accountability v4 · 2015-05-13 · You need a partner, not a double agent. Judges. When you ask some people to be an accountability partner, they

What Is Accountability Software?

We get a lot of questions here at X3watch, but by far the thing people wonder the most—whether they ask it or not—is this:

What in the world is accountability software, anyway?

It’s a good and fair question; if you aren’t familiar with the concept of accountability—and especially that it’s a good thing we should be proactive about, not a punishment for those who have broken the rules—then the idea of accountability software can seem odd at best and threatening at worst.

So here’s a good and simple de�nition: accountability software like X3watch is simply a software program that helps you make healthier choices about your online activity by inviting someone into the process.

Now let’s break that down into its component parts.

A software program… You probably already guessed this part because of the word “software” in the original question, but we should point out that a program like X3watch works not just on computers

but also on mobile devices, tablets, gaming consoles—anywhere you access the internet.

…that helps you make healthier choices about your online activity… Everywhere you go online is a choice. Whether you want to check out something that brings positivity into your life or something

that does the opposite, you generally have a choice. As a rule, no one (other than your conscience) is forcing you to go somewhere you don’t want to go. Accountability software like X3watch simply reinforces this concept and provides extra motivation to make healthy choices when it comes to your online behavior.

…by inviting someone into the process. This is the most crucial part. We at X3watch aren’t going to be monitoring your activity and keeping you accountable—it’s up to you to bring someone you

trust into your online decision-making, someone who can partner with you to help you achieve your desires and goals. You can’t do this on your own, and you’ll be inspired to make those healthier choices when you have someone else cheering you on.

And there you have it. Accountability software isn’t a program on your computer that deals with money, and it isn’t spyware that reports your every click to a tyrannical government. It’s just a tool you can use to build the kind of online lifestyle you can truly be proud of.

Curious to know more about X3watch? Get answers here.

What Is Accountability Software?

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What Is An Accountability Partner?

What Is An Accountability Partner?

“A good story requires more than one character.” This thinking is foundational for gaining and maintaining lifelong freedom in every area of your life. Our culture certainly loves to celebrate and honor individual achievement, and while that’s de�nitely a worthwhile endeavor, we here at X3watch have seen too many recoveries get derailed because someone tried to do it all on their own.

It just doesn’t work. You have to have someone encouraging you. Going on the journey with you. Partnering with you.

You must have an accountability partner.

At this point, you may be wondering what that means, or you may be thinking that you’ve heard that term “accountability partner” so many times that it makes you want to throw up. Either way, we would like to take a short opportunity to clear up any misconceptions you might have about what accountability partners are… and aren’t.

Accountability partners are…

Advocates. Your accountability partner(s) are people you intentionally welcome into your life to help you live the kind of life you desire. They are there to give you a hand in achieving your goals and advocate for you in all instances.

Encouragers. A great accountability partner is a great cheerleader and champion. When you inevitably fall short of the goals you’ve set for yourself, a good accountability partner is there to pick you back up, o�er an encouraging word, and set you back toward a life of positivity and productivity.

Family. By “family,” we don’t mean only family members can be accountability partners (though that works for many people!). We mean that your accountability partner is not just some person you talk to only about your accountability; this is a relationship that should extend, even brie�y, beyond those borders. You mourn losses together and celebrate triumphs together. Just like family.

Accountability partners are NOT…

Spies. We’ve seen this before, where someone leaps at the opportunity to become an accountability partners because they’re really just interested in knowing your dirty laundry so they can hold that over you. You need a partner, not a double agent.

Judges. When you ask some people to be an accountability partner, they don’t hear the word “partner,” they hear “judge, jury, and executioner.” An accountability partner who sits in judgment over you and makes you feel small when you don’t measure up is the kind of person who will make things counterproductive. You need a partner, not a boss.

Solitary. The great thing about the accountability partnership is that it’s a two-way street. You’re each involved in one another’s lives, encouraging one another, building one another up. You don’t want someone who only wants to come into your world without letting you into theirs You need a partner,not a loner.

So there you go. If you have any questions or want to go really deep on accountability and accountability partners, check out these resources.

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Page 4: pdf 7 things that will help your accountability v4 · 2015-05-13 · You need a partner, not a double agent. Judges. When you ask some people to be an accountability partner, they

What Is An Accountability Partner?

What Is An Accountability Partner?

“A good story requires more than one character.” This thinking is foundational for gaining and maintaining lifelong freedom in every area of your life. Our culture certainly loves to celebrate and honor individual achievement, and while that’s de�nitely a worthwhile endeavor, we here at X3watch have seen too many recoveries get derailed because someone tried to do it all on their own.

It just doesn’t work. You have to have someone encouraging you. Going on the journey with you. Partnering with you.

You must have an accountability partner.

At this point, you may be wondering what that means, or you may be thinking that you’ve heard that term “accountability partner” so many times that it makes you want to throw up. Either way, we would like to take a short opportunity to clear up any misconceptions you might have about what accountability partners are… and aren’t.

Accountability partners are…

Advocates. Your accountability partner(s) are people you intentionally welcome into your life to help you live the kind of life you desire. They are there to give you a hand in achieving your goals and advocate for you in all instances.

Encouragers. A great accountability partner is a great cheerleader and champion. When you inevitably fall short of the goals you’ve set for yourself, a good accountability partner is there to pick you back up, o�er an encouraging word, and set you back toward a life of positivity and productivity.

Family. By “family,” we don’t mean only family members can be accountability partners (though that works for many people!). We mean that your accountability partner is not just some person you talk to only about your accountability; this is a relationship that should extend, even brie�y, beyond those borders. You mourn losses together and celebrate triumphs together. Just like family.

Accountability partners are NOT…

Spies. We’ve seen this before, where someone leaps at the opportunity to become an accountability partners because they’re really just interested in knowing your dirty laundry so they can hold that over you. You need a partner, not a double agent.

Judges. When you ask some people to be an accountability partner, they don’t hear the word “partner,” they hear “judge, jury, and executioner.” An accountability partner who sits in judgment over you and makes you feel small when you don’t measure up is the kind of person who will make things counterproductive. You need a partner, not a boss.

Solitary. The great thing about the accountability partnership is that it’s a two-way street. You’re each involved in one another’s lives, encouraging one another, building one another up. You don’t want someone who only wants to come into your world without letting you into theirs You need a partner,not a loner.

So there you go. If you have any questions or want to go really deep on accountability and accountability partners, check out these resources.

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What Makes A Great Accountability Partner?

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What Makes A Great Accountability Partner?

We already covered “What Is an Accountability Partner?” - but now we’d like to go a little deeper and talk about three things that make a great accountability partner.

They understand. A great accountability partner knows exactly where you’ve been and where you want to go, oftentimes because they’ve been in the same place as you. They have empathy for your situation; they understand your struggles and challenges, and they know what it takes to overcome them. These are people who believe in you and in whom you can believe.

They’re consistent and reliable. You don’t need someone �aking out on you; you need someone you can count on. A great accountability partner is just that. The thing about accountability is that it thrives on stability and the rock solid foundation of consistency and reliability. You need to know that your accountability partner will be there when you need them, every time.

They love you enough to call you out. Let’s face it: as much as you want never to make a poor online choice again, the odds of you batting a thousand from here on out are extraordinarily slim. We at X3watch have been around too long and seen too much to pretend otherwise. That’s why we also know that an accountability partner who isn’t afraid to hold your feet to the �re is far more valuable than someone who is too embarrassed or afraid to call you out when you head places you’d rather not. That’s true love.

Got someone in mind?

Send them this PDF and let them know what they’re in for and what you’re expecting of them. If they’re still on board with being your accountability partner, then you know they’re going to be a great one!

Now you just need to build a great partnership with one another.Wondering how to do that? Fortunately, we’ve got you covered.

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How to Build a Great Accountability Partnership

You have X3watch.

You have an accountability partner.

You have everything you need to stay accountable, and now you just want to makesure it stays great.

You want to build a great partnership with your accountability partner.

Well, we’re just as excited about the possibilities as you are, and we are just as eager as you are to see this partnership turn out spectacularly, so here are four ways you can build your accountability relationship into a great one.

Meet regularly.Having someone have your back on X3watch is a great thing, but if you’re only communicating with one another when your accountability partner checks in with you to ask about your browser history, then you have a relationship that’s really just based on them being the town sheri�. We believe accountability is in�nitely stronger when you’re meeting with one another regularly, whether that’s in person or, if you live in separate cities, through Skype or FaceTime. When it comes to greatness, there’s just no substitute for that regular meeting.

Ask questions.How was your week? Did the choices you made this week make your life better or

worse? Have you been trustworthy with your material stu� this week? Have you caved in to any of your addictions, struggles, or weaknesses this week? How are you feeling right now? These are all examples of the kinds of questions you can ask one

another each time you meet (you’ll notice these examples are all based on a weekly meeting, but you can modify them for your own meeting frequency). When you ask

these questions, you’re putting more and more bricks into the building that is a great relationship.

Stay honest.It’s not enough to ask questions, though – you have to answer them honestly. You aren’t doing either of yourselves any favors by skirting the truth when you answer these questions, nor are you helping if you respond out of dishonesty or manipulation. A great accountability partnership is a safe one, and remaining honest in all you say and do is the best way to maintain that level of safety.

How to Build a Great Accountability Partnership

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How to Build a Great Accountability Partnership

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Go beyond.A regular meeting is a good thing, but greatness comes when you go beyond that standard meeting. Maybe get together for a family barbecue every now and then. If you live in di�erent cities, maybe consider a weekend visit once every six months or year. The point is, your accountability partnership gets great when you invest more than just your email address and a weekly cup of co�ee in it. Go beyond the norm and watch what happens.

Now that you have some ideas on how to build a great partnership, we hope you’re able to go out and do just that. It may seem like hard work at times, but it’s worth it.

But what happens if the accountability partnership just doesn’t take o�? How can you avoid toxic accountability partners, or get rid of those you didn’t manage to avoid in the �rst place?

WE’LL TELL YOU HOW NEXT.

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Recognizing and Avoiding Toxic Accountability Partners

As we’ve worked in and around this world of accountability, we’ve seen that most accountability partners are willing, good-hearted participants who are eager to help out. Unfortunately, though, this isn’t always the case. Here are three simple ways to recognize toxic accountability partners. As soon as you see these red �ags, run the other way:

Sel�sh. It’s always about them, them, them. They aren’t concerned about you or your struggles; they just want to talk about themselves. If they aren’t asking you about your life and how you’re doing, then that’s a strong sign that they’re really only interested in one person in this world: the one that’s in the mirror. Stay away.

Overeager. Do their eyes go just a LITTLE too wide when you describe your struggles? Do they lean forward in their chair and ask for details? Do they berate you for your failures while making sure you tell them every last letter of that website you went to? Yeah, these people aren’t interested in helping you – they’re just looking for a guinea pig. Don’t give them the satisfaction.

Flaky. These people have been known to go o� the grid suddenly, and for days at a time. They show up late to meet with you, and then when you �nally get together, they’ve left their questions at home and have to leave in �fteen minutes to go to another meeting anyway. They’ll snap up your phone to have a look at your browser history, but when you want to do the same, they claim not to have their phone with them. These are �akes, and you don’t need to give them any power in your life.

So what do you do if you’ve discovered that one of your X3watch accountability partners is toxic? You can remove them in four simple steps.

1) Log In. As usual, everything starts with logging in.2) Click. Head to that good ol’ navigation bar at the top of the page and select “Partners.”3) Delete. Once you see your list of partners, you’ll see a purple button labeled “Delete” next to each name. Delete the appropriate partner.4) Con�rm. Just to make sure you didn’t make a mistake, our system will ask you to con�rm your deletion. Just hit “OK.”

That’s it! Once you’ve done this, your now ex-partner will get an email from us letting them know they’ve been removed from your account, and they’ll no longer get any reports or emails about your activity (unless you add them back for some reason).

But trust us: some really great accountability partners are out there. We’ve seen it time and again, so don’t give up!

Recognizing and Avoiding Toxic Accountability Partners

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How To Add Accountability Partners To X3watch

So, you’re taking the plunge and getting accountable with X3watch. That’s great! We’re excited for you as you take this important step into a healthier online lifestyle.

But before you go any farther, you have to add an accountability partner! Hopefully you’ve already chosen an accountability partner (or partners) who understand your goals and are ready to cheer you on.

Once you have that person on board (and have their email address), you’re ready to follow a simple �ve-step process to add them as an accountability partner in X3watch. Those steps are:

1) Log in. First, you have to log in to your account. If you aren’t logged in already, you can do that here.

2) Click. Locate and click the “Partners” button. You’ll �nd it as part of the navigation bar at the top of the page.

3) Type. Find the designated �elds and �ll in your partner’s name and email address so we can make sure to get them your reports.

4) Choose. You have a couple of options in the drop-down menus at this point. You can choose “Invite to Download X3watch” if you want your accountability partner to get pointed to using X3watch as well. They don’t have to use it in order to be your accountability partner, but it does streamline things, and it makes it easier for you to return the favor to them and be THEIR accountability partner! You can also choose “Send Email on Filtering Violation” if you want your partner to get an email the instant you visit a website that X3watch has �agged as inappropriate.

5) Click. See that button labeled “Add Partner”? Click that and you’ll be �nished! Now your partner will receive an invitation email from us. Once they accept your invitation, they’ll start receiving your reports. And make sure they hang on to that email, because it contains other important information about X3watch Premium!

If you’d like to add more than one accountability partner, just follow those �ve steps once more and you’ll be all set.

Thanks for using X3watch! We’re honored and excited to be a part of the new, healthy, liberated you.

How To Add Accountability Partners To X3watch

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