Why Every Actor Needs An Accountability Buddy

They say it’s lonely at the top, but what about on the way up? Chasing your dreams can often mean sacrificing social time for last-minute opportunities, travel, deadlines and much needed beauty sleep. Finding an accountability buddy is a great way for creatives (actors included!) to stay connected and feel supported, even when you’re busy doing your own thing.

It may even help you crush those top tier goals too!

Learn how this strategy works and why everyone needs an accountability buddy!

Why Actors Need Extra Accountability

Even though the acting industry is rebooting, you can still plan to be spending a lot of time working on your craft at home. Self-taping is quickly becoming the most popular way to audition, and a lot of classes are still only offered online. 

Personally, I don’t feel totally comfortable being back in a small classroom anyway, but I definitely miss interacting with my fellow actors before class or heading out together after to grab a coffee. If being in a lockdown for over a year taught us anything, it’s the importance of having a community, virtual or in-person, or things can get pretty lonely. 

This is why I strongly recommend finding an accountability buddy. 

The life of a working actor offers us some fabulous perks. We have a lot more freedom than a typical 9 to 5 job would offer, but that also means we’re running the show. If there is a deadline, we’re the task master. If there is a tech issue, we’re the IT department. We wear a lot of different hats to manage our careers. 

There’s no shame if you struggle keeping all the plates spinning at once. That is normal. It’s a developed skill, and it’s not natural to everyone. That’s why having extra support, especially from someone who has similar experiences and goals, can help you stay focused and overcome obstacles easier. 

Structuring Your Check-Ins

Once you find another actor to work with, you need to determine how often you want to check-in and how. Personally, I think meeting over Zoom makes it nice to see each other’s faces, but it might not be conducive when you’re on-the-go. In that case, switch to a phone call or even text messages. 

Or hey, why not take a walk together (even if you’re on the phone) and add some regular sunshine to your schedule. You can even mix it up, whatever works for your and your pal. 

I recommend checking in every weekday morning, just like you would with coworkers at an office job. This will also help you transition from hanging out in your PJs to mental work mode. 

Here is how you can structure your check-in, but feel free to tweak this format to match what best serves you and your partner. 

• The first person shares 1-3 wins since your last check-in.
• What goals are you focusing on right now? 
• What obstacles or challenges do you foresee in reaching your goal(s), and how do you plan to handle them? 
• If you’re procrastinating on a task, dive deeper into what is challenging you and lean on your accountability buddy to help you brainstorm possible solutions. 
• List 1-3 actions you are committed to taking today. You want to keep this manageable and realistic. Don’t over-commit yourself. 
• How can your buddy best support you today? (i.e. do you need to text them after you complete a dropoff, encouraging words after a scary phone call, etc.)
• Then the second person completes the same steps with their goals, wins and tasks for the day.  

How To Be A Good Accountability Buddy

As a creative person, one of the best ways you can add extra value to your accountability partnership is to challenge one another to step outside your comfort zones. That might sound daunting when you’re going at it alone, but as a team, you can help one another move through any fear and try new approaches. 

Your collaboration could provide inspiration for a new project, uncover an effective way to nurture important relationships with decision makers or boost your fan following with fresh ideas. The sky is really the limit, but if you need guidance facing your fear and moving forward, check out these tips. 

Just remember that being an accountability partner doesn’t mean you have a new partner in crime or a hand-holder. You’re only going to get out of this experience what you put into it, so honor your agreements. No one wants to feel like they’re dragging another person across the finish line. 

You may have to try a few partners before you find the perfect duo, but once you’re rockin’ and rollin’, you’ll really start to see the magic happening in your personal and professional lives. 

Do you already have an accountability partner? Are you worried about teaming up with another actor? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

LOVE + community!