Forget Accountability Partners: Helper's High is what you need

A completely new perspective to Stick to your Goals. The ultimate trick for Motivation, willpower, and resilience, no one YET talks about.

“Forget you new years resolutions: you need an accountability partner” does this phrase ring a bell? Or maybe “The buddy boost: how ‘accountability partners’ make you healthy, happy and more successful”?

While accountability might sound like a modern wellness hack, it’s anything but. The modern term simply encapsulates ideas of political responsibility and legal liability which can be traced back throughout history. Accountability has been a part of countless societies in countless ways.

Today, however, we’re focusing on how accountability helps us achieve our goals—and why it’s gaining popularity as a ‘wellness hack’. The science behind it is substantial. Research has shown that accountability and mutual goal-setting play key roles in behavioral change, particularly for better health outcomes. Several studies have quantified these effects, demonstrating that writing down goals and sharing them with others significantly increases success rates.

• For goal achievement in general: Dr. Gail Matthews from Dominican University ran a study showing that people who wrote thei goals down and shared with someone else were 76% more likely to achieve their goals compared to 43% who kept them to themselves. 
• For fitness and exercise: A UC Berkeley study showed that people who worked out with a friend and had social incentives increased gym attendance by 35%, and were twice as likely to show up compared to those who went alone.
• For health management in older adults: A study on older adults with chronic illnesses found that when patients were actively involved in setting health goals, they were much more likely to achieve them.
• For general accountability stats: Research from the Association for Talent Development found that having a specific accountability appointment boosted success rates to 95%, nearly 10 times more effective than just having an idea.

‍The baseline is simple: we, as human beings, are an inherently social species. And if we dig a little deeper, and point out a few relatable truths, it would be these:‍

(a)  It gives us that extra push, the outside support all of us need. 

(b)  We care about how we’re perceived by others,  and most of us don’t want to come off as flaky or unreliable, especially to someone we respect.

(c)  We feel a sense of external structure—something many of us grew up with, like parents checking if we really brushed our teeth. 

(d) Some journeys simply aren’t meant to be walked alone. (view video)

And the list goes on.. 

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But here’s the catch: 

In today’s hyper-connected world—where we are statistically lonelier, more anxious and more depressed than ever (read Digital drugs have us hooked, for more context)—staying accountable to someone else isn’t always easy and even texting a friend “Hey, I meditated today, did you?” can start to feel like just another task on an already overwhelming to-do list.

This shift matters. Because real, lasting change doesn’t come from pressure, it comes from consistency. And consistency only sticks when it feels natural and effortless. If the act of staying accountable starts to feel like a chore, it’s a sign that something crucial is missing from the equation.

Which was what led us to breaking Scientific Research down even more,  in order to find an even more natural and effortless way—something that would still bring the same benefits of being accountable to someone, but with even stronger positive emotions and better adherence. Something that wouldn’t feel like when our parents used to check if we really brushed our teeth when we were five.

And we found it. And it’s called Helper’s High..

Simply put,  helping, being nice to others or simply making someone smile can make us happier but what does it have to do with us achieving our goals?

Well, until recently, mutual goal-setting was attributed to accountability — a mechanism that gives humans a sense of responsibility, and external motivation to stay on track.

But, breaking Scientific Research down we saw that this is also deeply connected to what's known as the “Helper’s High” —  feeling we get from helping others achieve their goals, while staying 'accountable'. fMRI studies show that helping others activates the brain’s reward system — the same areas triggered by food, sex, and financial rewards.

To break it down even more - altruistic behavior, in this case helping other in any case or form increases the helper’s happiness and promotes positive emotions.  This effect has been demonstrated in a variety of altruistic behaviors, including volunteering (Huang, 2018), donating blood (Buyx, 2009), giving to charity, spending money on others (Dunn et al., 2008), and making small gestures, such as offering coffee, being kind, or making someone smile.

Studies have examined the altruism–happiness link in various social groups. found an association in 120 out of 136 countries and concluded that this link does not depend on a country’s wealth. Another study showed that the association between altruism and happiness, as demonstrated among Canadians, was also observed in a rural area on Tanna Island in Vanuatu (a small nation in the South Pacific).

This evidence has led researchers to suggest a “possible psychological universal” (Aknin et al., 2013a, p. 646).  

Our approach

Ultimately, up to now, we’ve been taught to rely on accountability partners to stay on track. But what if the real magic comes not from being held accountable—but from holding space for others?

Knowing that every single action you take directly contributes to someone else's well-being just as much as it benefits your own—that’s what it’s all about at Sidekick. You get matched with your accountability partner anonymously, without pressure or loss of autonomy—as if you’re doing it for them, not yourself.

For one real-life example: Let’s say you and your friend agreed to start a 20-day gym challenge. You showing up means your partner will show up—voilà, you both did something for yourself that actually contributed to the betterment of the other. ‘Helper's High’ achieved.

But the real magic at Sidekick is that you commit anonymously. (even get your avatars🙂) No fear of judgment, no stress—just knowing one thing: by showing up each day and completing your own roadmaps, you're directly contributing to the betterment of your partner. You both follow your personalized roadmaps, redeem your points (Gamification), and continue your journey toward your goals for 3 months. By the end of these 3 months, you'll get to discover each other's true identity—based on mutual consent, of course. Think about it: two heroes, two sidekicks, achieving their goals in the most unique , and effortless way.

We hope this resonates with you. And if it does, feel free to join our waitlist and be the first to try Sidekick. Or, explore other blog posts to learn more about us and how we're turning science into creative innovation that effortlessly engages you to heal, grow, and rebuild your life the way you want.

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