Last time you designed immediate rewards to make habits feel good. Now we add the final piece that makes habits truly unstoppable: accountability.

When other people know about your habit, everything changes. Your brain treats social commitments far more seriously than private promises.

Engagement Message

Name one person you'd trust to help you stay consistent with a new habit?

Here's the psychology behind accountability: humans are wired to avoid disappointing others. Even when you don't feel like doing your habit, knowing someone expects it creates powerful motivation.

This isn't willpower - it's leveraging your natural social psychology.

Engagement Message

Can you think of a time you followed through on something mainly because someone else was counting on you?

A habit contract makes your commitment official. It's a written agreement stating exactly what you'll do, when you'll do it, and what happens if you don't.

The key is making it specific and signed by both you and your accountability partner.

Engagement Message

Why does signing a commitment feel more serious than keeping it in your head?

Your contract should include three elements: the specific behavior, the timeline, and the consequence. "I will meditate for 30 seconds after my morning coffee for 30 days. If I miss, I'll donate $10 to charity."

Notice how concrete and measurable this is.

Engagement Message

What consequence would motivate you without being so harsh you'd avoid making the contract?

The best accountability partners aren't necessarily your closest friends. You want someone reliable who will actually check in and won't let you off the hook easily.

Look for someone who values consistency and isn't afraid to ask tough questions.

Engagement Message

What qualities would make someone a good accountability partner for you?

Effective accountability requires regular check-ins. Daily texts, weekly calls, or shared tracking apps work well. The key is consistency - sporadic check-ins lose their power.

Your partner should ask specific questions, not just "How's it going?"

Engagement Message

How often would you want someone to check in on your habit progress?

Type

Fill In The Blanks

Markdown With Blanks

Let's practice writing accountability questions! Fill in the blanks to create specific check-in questions:

"Did you [[blank:meditate]] for 30 seconds after your morning [[blank:coffee]] today? What made it easy or difficult?"

Suggested Answers

• meditate
• coffee
• exercise
• breakfast

Type

Swipe Left or Right

Practice Question

Which accountability setups would be most effective versus least effective? Swipe each one based on how well it would work:

Labels

• Left Label: Effective
• Right Label: Ineffective

Left Label Items

• Written contract with specific consequences
• Daily check-ins with a reliable partner
• Shared habit tracking app with updates
• Weekly progress calls with honest feedback

Right Label Items

• Casual mention to a friend without follow-up
• Posting goals on social media once
• Asking family to "remind me sometimes"
• Setting phone reminders instead of human contact

Type

Multiple Choice

Practice Question

You've learned all the habit design elements! Let's test your understanding of Implementation Intentions and their main purpose.

Implementation Intentions are primarily designed for:

A. Making habits automatic and memorable B. Reducing barriers to starting C. Creating lasting motivation through others D. Making behaviors feel rewarding

Suggested Answers

• A - Correct
• B
• C
• D