AccountabiliBuddy: We Said We’d Do It… (Some of Us Did)

This is a bonus episode. No polish. No preaching. Just accountability.

Last week we set each other some simple challenges:
 go to the gym, do something kind, look after ourselves, and actually follow through.

This week? We checked the receipts.

Some things got done.
 Some things didn’t.
 Life got in the way.
 Excuses were made.
 Lessons were learned.

This episode is about not beating yourself up, celebrating progress (even when it’s messy), and realising that showing up imperfectly still counts.

If you’re a mum or dad trying to make changes, feeling stretched, tired, and like you’re constantly falling short — this one’s for you.

🎯 Listener challenge:
Share this episode with one person who might need a nudge this week.

Transcript

Lost Notes And Gym Banter

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Bonus episode. Chris. You lost your bit of paper, didn't you? Yeah, well I didn't lose it. It got washed in the washing machine. It's still there, but in loads of tiny little bits now attached to black hoodies and t-shirts and jeans and basically everything that was in the washing machine.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

Do you want this so you can quiz me on what I've done? Yeah, ma'am. I'll gonna. One of the things that I said to you was to go to the gym. That was a great intro, by the way.

SPEAKER_00 0:28

I love that. Yeah, it was good, wasn't it? Good, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 0:30

It's just off the cuff. Yeah. Yeah. Um one of the things I told you, I think, from memory, yeah, was go to the gym. Mate, can you not see these guns?

SPEAKER_00 0:37

Look, have a little look.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

I did notice, mate, when you walked in, I didn't want to mention it in the other. I'm in pain. Every day, I love it.

Saving On Showers, Paying For Water

SPEAKER_00 0:44

It's I don't know why people go to the gym because it hurts. Actually, it doesn't make you feel good. Yeah, no, I have been. Have actually been. I was on I went there this morning before the podcast. Yeah, I know you said. I had a little shower, so I smelt like something fresh. I've worked out if I go to the gym and have a shower, I save money on water. Yeah, yeah, and heating. It's brilliant and gas. Not only am I getting fit, I'm actually saving money. Everyone's the winner.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

And I've got free water as well. Water's too expensive nowadays, so it is water. Yeah, mate, don't even get me started on the water. Yeah. We had a chest every day. They want us to pay like five grand a month at the moment for water. I think we must have sent it wrong. Yeah, I mean, we've got three swimming pools and four hot tubs, and there's 78 people in the room. And you have three-bedroom. No, I bought a new one, didn't I? With the proceeds from the podcast. I bought a new house. Oh, sorry, shit. It's like a shoebox, was it? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Like that advert thing. Um, what was your other one? I can't remember what your other one was, mate, to be fair. No, it's yeah, your one. Um, I do know what one was. What one was what?

Random Act Of Kindness Walk

Supporting A Friend In Recovery

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Your random act of kindness. No, mine are one there. I'll give you the bloody list. I wrote mine down. Oh, it is there, then one random act of kindness, isn't it? One random act of kindness. Do you know what? I did actually No, I did do that, mate. I did do that. Um someone reached out to me on my I can't whether it was a podcast page or whether it was my personal page. He's like, Ash, I'd love to go for a walk, yeah. It's someone from my past, someone from sort of 18, 19 year years old, growing up through those days. Yeah. He's like, I'd love to. And then I checked his thing. He's got a page on Instagram, um recovering addict, or something like that. And I was like, Do you know what? Yeah, let's go for a walk. We booked it all in, and then I went silent. And he messaged me on Tuesday. Ash, are we still going for this walk? And I very nearly bailed on him. And I was like, Yeah, fuck it, what time? It was hammering it down. We went for a walk. We did, oh, we did, it's like six or seven miles up and down. We'll get this kid on the past on the podcast when he's ready, because it's an incredible story. I don't want to go too much into it, but he was in a bad way. He was in a bad way. Um suicidal thoughts, all sorts. His life completely flipped upside down, and uh he decided on the 15th of December to knock it all on the head, move away from the circles he was in and go for walks. He'd done 250,000 steps in a week. Wow. Literally, the day I walked with him And you mind about you having blisters. Well, yeah, this is it. The day I walked with him, he'd already done six hours, he'd already done 40,000 steps, and then we did another 12,000 on top of that. Oh, so next time you're crying when you're going up and down a hill. Well, that's it. But the random act of kindness was going for the walk. Yeah. But I didn't even jump in, I didn't it didn't even think. And after the walk, we're soaking wet. He goes, Ash, I really fancy half a pint of Guinness. I said to him, I said, Why only half? You can't have half a pint of Guinness. He said, Look, I'm not working, I'm not and I literally just reached and I had 20 quid in my wallet, and I give it to him. I said, get yourself a pint. Only one, get yourself a pint. And he was over the moon. I was like, I don't want it back, it's not a thing. Just get yourself a pint, mate. I can't have anybody having half a pint of Guinness. It doesn't feel right with me. It doesn't sit right with me. And that and I felt good, not just for that, not for the monetary gain, but I feel like I helped him that day. I feel like I picked him out. I feel like he enjoyed the walk, he enjoyed talking, and we had a lovely chat. We had a lovely chat about it. Um and yeah, through walking. So that was my random act of kindness. So I did actually do it without even thinking about it. Well done. Like that. Um What did I say to you?

SPEAKER_00 4:31

I'm picking that out though. I'm gonna I'm gonna pick a little hole in that. Go on then. Is it a random act of kindness because you said in the podcast to reach out if you wanted to go for a walk? No, so is it random?

SPEAKER_01 4:45

Is it he said he said I would love to go for a walk with you?

SPEAKER_00 4:50

Oh, this is out to the listeners. If you're listening, is this a random act of kindness? If not, Ash fails.

SPEAKER_01 4:56

No fucking try and do something good. Right, come on then. I said to you last week you need to get a guest for the podcast and your mum doesn't count. I've got one. Have you? Yeah, yeah. Who? Well, I can't tell you it's a surprise.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

You'll see when they turn up. They should be here by the end of I think they said they were busy until about December. Wicked. Uh but they're definitely booked in. I can't give anything away because it's a massive guest.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

No massive guests. Massive, massive guest. Yeah, I didn't do that. Um Jason Stafham. He's busy actually, I think.

Is Kindness Still Random

SPEAKER_00 5:26

He's busy. Yeah, yeah, he's quite he's got prior engagements. Um no, but I'd be honest with you, mate. I uh I've had a pretty rough week. Um didn't feel particularly well at the start of the uh last week, sort of middle of last week, just after the podcast. And then we've been quite busy, mate, to be fair. Um and I didn't like the fact that you were in Spain again, if I'm honest. I thought, you know what, he's out in the sun bollocks and not doing anything.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

To be fair, I didn't do much, to be fair.

Guest Booking Bluster

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Go on, next one. Well, you've got continue the Vikings uh all while you're out in Spain, yeah, and do a cold plunge in your mum's pool because it was about four degrees. Yeah, no, didn't do anything. Nothing. No, you didn't even go for a swim.

Spain Trip And Passport Drama

SPEAKER_01 6:02

No, I didn't go for a swim, mate. Not even a hangover swim or nothing like that. I didn't have a hangover though. Right. Um something happened at the airport. So my brother-in-law was coming went out to Spain with me, and we went to the airport at five o'clock in the morning, as you do, a couple of nice beers for breakfast. Straight in the red line. Straight no, we went to the posh one because the red line was busy. Um can't what it's called. And yeah, we're cool, we got to the gate. I've done my passport, gone through, and then they're like, Oh, you can't go to Scott. What do you mean you can't go? He's got nine months left on his passport. New laws come in on the first of Jan that say your passport cannot be older than ten years. So he got refused at the gate and had to go home.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

And actually, straight down a little bit of the getting his sink, 30 sink, like I'd forgot all about him. No, to me.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

No, no, no, I didn't forget all about him, mate. Every nice cold pint I had in the sun, I sent him a photo of. Every nice cold pint in the sun, I sent him a photo of. Right. Like I made sure that he knew what he did. Yeah, yeah. But so no, I didn't drink much. I did so, and I lost a kilogram while I was out there. I was eating, trying to eat healthier, eating some nice fresh produce and stuff. So, whereas I didn't do what I said I was gonna do, I didn't do the cold plunge, I didn't get on the mountain bike and go for a ride and stuff, I did get the steps in, I did eat well, I didn't drink loads, and I feel good for it. Good. But it's good but bad at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

It's good but bad. But I think What's the crack with the Vikings? What have they said? Because you've got a group chat, surely they've mugged you off and not doing anything.

Healthy Choices And Missed Challenges

SPEAKER_01 7:40

No, to be fair, they haven't. They've been really supportive. Um I said to them this morning, I think yes, they were supposed to do a how you feeling after last week. So I said to them this morning, I was like, Do you know what? I'm feeling good mentally, I'm feeling more pressure. On the first of March, we're doing the iron challenge, um, which is like three different things. Loaded like clothes and iron than that. No, no, it's no, it's literally we're going we're going ironing, we've got the ironing boards out. The Vikings are gonna teach me how to iron. Put your big hats over your horse. No, they do at the end of every six-week tour, they do a challenge. Right. Um, and it's like five or six hours hiking, marking, hiking, marking, marching. Um, you can do it weighted, unweighted, etc. etc. Um, there's three different tiers. And I said to them this morning, I said, I don't want to be the one that's finishing four days after you. Yeah. Because I've not done anything over the weekend, I've now got to do double this week. Get yourself some Healy's.

unknown 8:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

I don't think they'll work on the fucking terang we're going on, Chris. I really don't. But no, so and I said, I said, life throws things in the way with the best will in the world. I would love to have got up. I should have got up. Um, I didn't do the things I said I was gonna do. Now, am I right to beat myself up about that?

unknown 8:54

No.

SPEAKER_01 8:54

Or am I gonna celebrate the fact that I've lost a bit of weight, I ate healthy, and I didn't get pissed every day. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Well, that's the thing, isn't it? You know, you've done things, it's not like you sat in your ass and done nothing all week, is it?

Vikings Challenges And Mindset

SPEAKER_01 9:06

No, that's it. It's um it's like another learning curve in the whole don't beat yourself up. Because you have done, you have moved forward. You have moved forward. Yes, you haven't done what said you're gonna do, and now you've put a bit more pressure on yourself to do it. And then on like the 19th of March, I've got to do the XCC. Yeah. So I've really got to work for the next six weeks, because I don't want to die up in a mountain carrying 25 kg. Don't want to do that. And I want to do that. You signed in to do that, you all signed up. Yeah, it's all done, mate. It's done. It's done. I've got James messaging me, you're still coming, mate, you're still coming. I'm like, Yeah, yeah, of course, of course, I'm coming. Yeah. Um, so I'm doing that. So I've got to get ready for it. Because if you're not prepared, then it'll be horrible.

unknown 9:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

It can go from being like a quivelling wreck behind some bush somewhere crying.

SPEAKER_01 9:53

Well, it could go from being a I've got to do it anyway. And it could go from being a relatively tough experience, but I enjoy it, to a grueling horrible experience that I never want to do again.

SPEAKER_02 10:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:06

So, yes. Can't remember what else I told you to do. I didn't do it. No, I know you didn't. I didn't do anything.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

I'm so sorry. I'm not sorry. No, I am sorry, but I'm not sorry. What's your excuse? Go on. I I I I well I've said already, you're out in Spain. You're out in Spain. Every time you go out to Spain, I'm not I'm not completing these challenges unless I'm coming with you. It's as simple as that, mate. I'm not having a lot of people. Yeah, but you'd be bored. I'm not being left at the airport either. If you walk down that alleyway onto get onto the plane without me, I'll be crying, mate.

SPEAKER_01 10:33

I did give him my car keys though, and said here, I'd take my car and go out.

SPEAKER_00 10:35

Oh, that's kind of you, yeah. But he had a lovely key.

Preparing For The XCC

SPEAKER_01 10:41

He had a lovely um weekend with my wife and the kids, though. Right. They went bowling and they did stuff and they they had a good time. But do you know what actually? He's got a really important business trip to Barcelona on Tuesday next week. And he hasn't got a passport, so he can't go. No, his passport's done now. He's just literally just messaged me saying it's gonna be here today. But if he hadn't done that, yeah, it would have been even more embarrassing that he's got a massive work trip to go to Barcelona and he can't go because he ain't got a passport.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

Very good friend of mine lives by the rule of everything else for a reason, mate.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

I see that's exactly so yeah, it was shit. So coming forward then, moving forward next week, Chris. Hang on, what? No, it was only two, oh okay, sorry, carry on. It's only because I don't remember. Uh hold on, wait. Well, you reached out to one. I reached out to two, actually. Oh, well, there's four here.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

I've got four written down, so it's a fifty percent fail. Yeah, well, I did I did something reaching out to four people to help the podcast. Um and I didn't more than me, so.

Audience, Niche, And Feedback

SPEAKER_01 11:43

And I did reach out to someone, and we got some really good constructive criticisms on the podcast. Um and I'm glad I did it. And I will forever be actually my last episode. Yeah, see you that, Chris. I've got I've got the boot. No, um, and he basically said he said your podcast was work really well if you and Chris had a hundred thousand followers each.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

Yeah, so if you could share it out, yeah, people want to get us 99,999, we'd be really grateful.

Content Plans And Near Misses

SPEAKER_01 12:11

But it was like he taught us a valuable lesson, like, who are we aiming this at? And it made us question it, didn't we? Like, okay, we we are two niche, so we're decided, right? It's for people just like us, yeah, working, mums and dads who are moving forward. Um, and then I reached out to another guy, and he will come on as a guest. I'm not gonna say who it is yet. Oh, so you're like me then, got really good guests, and you just don't want anyone to know. I genuinely have, um, but he's very busy, right? Okay, but he will come on as a guest and he will um talk to us about being accountable and energy. Um, his big thing is about energy. It's not the out here brothers, is it? No, it's not the outware brothers. Energy. No, it's the dura cell bunny, mate. It's the dura cell bunny, he's gonna come on and talk about energy. Um, and then the last one was post- That's it, mate. You posted yourself four last week. I don't know why you tried to make out you're gonna do other than the other side. No, the third one was supposed to be a dual thing where we were supposed to post in the group for the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

Okay. Um I actually I actually recorded two pieces of content. You just didn't post them. I didn't post them. I because I post I recorded them on my normal phone and the uh account is on the other phone and I just forgot to airdrop it to the other phone. Simple as that. So we get there. The effort was there, it just wasn't complete.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

We get there. So next week, Chris, you've got to continue going to the gym every other day, mate. I will, mate. I've got it, I'm I'm I'm in, I'm locked in. You've got to do that. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 13:45

You've got to do pneumonia or something.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

But don't do what you said that you normally do. Go all in for the first two weeks and then stop.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

No, I won't.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

The day you think, ah, do you know what? I can't be asked to the gym today, phone me. I look forward to it.

New Week Accountability Goals

SPEAKER_00 13:58

I actually look forward to it. Good. I do, I look forward to it. And the good thing about it is it's just a nice gym where there's not loads of people, it's really quiet in the mornings. Got half eight, it's dead. I mean what gym said half eight. Well, oh yeah, I suppose that yeah, I suppose, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:14

Well, that's when I used to go to the gym, I thought, oh do you know what? I'll do what I normally do, I'll go at six. And six was so busy you couldn't get on anything, the shower's a thing, and that's like I just gave up. Yeah. I just gave up. But the gyms aren't for me. I like the Viking thing, and I'll probably do the next tour as well after this one.

SPEAKER_00 14:28

Right. I've got one for you. Yeah. You said to me earlier on that you've not had your dummy today. Yeah. So I want you to be dummy free for three days this week.

SPEAKER_01 14:36

Dummy free for three days. Three whole days.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

Not like it in your car and smoke it when you get in the car and drive home or when you get home. Three whole days. And accountability. No bullshit.

Habits, Toast, And Temptation

SPEAKER_01 14:47

Yeah, yeah. I would never would. I would never would. I will always hold my hands up and say, right, if I say I'm gonna do something, and that's something I've learnt. You've got to fucking own your shit. Because you're the only person you're lying to is yours, yeah. No, Chris, I've not touched it, mate. Yeah, no, I've no, I promise you I've not. Like I'm only lying to myself, it don't fucking make my kids. Well, when we kiss. Um okay, I'd like you to do a random act of kindness.

unknown 15:17

Oh, mate.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

What? Cringe. Cringe. Do a random act of kindness. Okay. And you know that could be help me do my first TikTok video for me. That's not random, though, is it? You're asking me for it already. No, yeah, but you could just ring me up one day and be like, oh actually, I'm gonna come and help you out video, that's random. No, I'm joking. I would like you to help me. That's like one that's not for this. I want to make a video for TikTok shop because I've said I'm gonna try it. I want my wife to try it as well, and if I do it, she can follow in my footsteps.

Prank Call Idea And Light Relief

SPEAKER_00 15:46

Well, when you're ready to do it properly, we'll teach you because you need to do it every day for every day, every day afterwards, and every day after that, and then keep going every day. Maybe when they get it. Can I just point out as well? I don't know if you can hear my watch dinging in this podcast, but I've got myself a new Apple Watch, and it is a right pain in my ass. I cannot turn the notifications off, I cannot put it on silent. I've even asked Chat GPT how to do it, and it doesn't even do the way that he's telling me to do it. So if you can hear it, I do apologize, but I can't control it other than throwing it across the road into the ditch. Right. You're one. Have I only done one? Oh no. I've done two, you've done one. Alright, okay. Well, this is taking a long time, isn't it? Uh take some time for yourself. Really?

SPEAKER_01 16:32

What six days in Spain not enough?

SPEAKER_00 16:34

Yeah, yeah, I I think taking a bit of time for yourself, mate. Yeah, I'm you know why I'm saying that, right? Well, because if you go to Spain, then I don't have to do any of this again. That's so that's that's that's my my logic there, mate. Go to Spain for seven days instead of five, because I don't think five is long enough.

SPEAKER_01 16:51

I'm going for nine in March over Easter.

SPEAKER_00 16:55

That's right. So what you're going you're going to Spain for nine days and you're going swalling off up to like the Brecon Beacons having a jolly up up there, like um Northumberland, actually. Where's that? Is that Northumberland? I don't even know. Northumberland's.

SPEAKER_01 17:09

No, I think it's like that side.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

It's good at geography, aren't we?

SPEAKER_01 17:11

That's cool. Yeah, no. I think we had this conversation in the last episode. I still don't know where Northumberland is.

SPEAKER_00 17:19

Okay, so right, so yeah, we need to uh maybe rethink that, but you can have that one for this week. You can have a little bit of time for yourself, mate.

Listener Challenge And Sign-Off

SPEAKER_01 17:25

Well, that's the Viking thing, is time to myself. Is it? Well, no, it's not because I'm with other people.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Go and sit down somewhere. Get up at five o'clock in the morning. Yeah. Go and sit somewhere. Well, it's my office. I love it. When it's raining. Yeah. Oh no, not when it's raining. Get high perform me.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

Alright.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

Well if you've done it because you're coming here sneezing.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Do you know what? I want you to change your breakfast. I reckon 90% of the episodes you mentioned your toast. I don't eat toast anyway.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

Oh what? Told you earlier on, mate. Oh what? Anyway. I don't eat toast. That's fine. I'll do that. No, you're just not eating toast every day. You said that you're like, okay, I'll be hard to stop eating toast. You're always eating toast every episode. I'm not being funny, but if anybody's listening right now, if you don't eat toast, you're missing out. Oh, toast is brilliant. Hot and cold. I mean, it's really bad for your heart because it's like getting some really good sorted butter. Smother it on there. So it's dripping through.

unknown 18:20

Oh, mate.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

But I might have to go and have some toast. You got any bread here?

SPEAKER_01 18:24

No. Um, yes, mould it in the cupboard. Scrape it. No, you're not allowed toast. Oh no, I'm not allowed penicillin actually, am I? No, I'm not. Are you penicillin actually?

SPEAKER_00 18:31

Oh fuck me.

SPEAKER_01 18:32

So am I. So am I.

SPEAKER_00 18:34

Alright, then uh. So I know that you've got a voice changer because you bought it from me on TikTok. Yeah. So you know what's coming next. Yeah. I want you to make a prank call and record it. Okay. And you can either overlay it onto the podcast or we can play it live on the podcast. Well, not live, but we can replay it on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 18:49

Well, work out how to do it. I'll have to work it out to do it. You might have to help me with that because you're a contact.

SPEAKER_00 18:54

I want you to ring Domino's pizza. Domino's something like that. An order of pizza to your next door neighbour's house and then film it being delivered. Oh, I can't do that. That's why I'm not sure. We need to do that as a kid, we need to do it on the farm and it's quite funny. Then we just go out there and say, Oh, we'll take that if you want, and just like we'll ever seen is where they ring the Chinese and the Chinese.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

Oh, yeah, they talk to each other. Or Chat GPT and Chat GPT. That's brilliant. Yeah, yeah. Have you seen the guy on ChatGPT that does the AI thing where he's like, Oh yeah, I'm uh I'm hanging off a cliff at the moment and I need your help. Have you seen this guy? He's like so plain face and it's brilliant. It makes me fucking laugh. He was sinking in sinking sand the other day and he's asking Chat GPT. And it's yeah, it's great. It's great. It's great.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

That's what ChatGPT should be for.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

That's what TikTok should be for as well, I think.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

It used to be, didn't it, to be fair?

SPEAKER_01 19:45

Yeah, all funny videos. Watched one of that yesterday, and I was wetting myself. It's a guy, you know the Snapchat filters. He does the elevator, he's like literally called the elevator guy, and he's on the elevator, and obviously the people in the background they can see his phone, they can see his screen, and then faces are changing, like putting big mustaches and big eyebrows. It's brilliant, mate. Anyway, I've gone off on a tangent. But no, I do say a bit of dynamic content for the podcast to show that we're human. I'm definitely not human, but done? You happy? Anything else you want to say? Any more challenges? I've basically won again this week, haven't I? If you want to call it one, then that's fine, mate.

SPEAKER_00 20:23

I'll let you have that. This is a competition.

SPEAKER_01 20:25

It is a competition. We should score it. Next time, don't throw your bit of paper in the bin, mate. I didn't. I've done it. Yeah, but it's not waterproof. We'll laminate it for you. Alright, sweet. Leave it on the desk, mate, because it will stay here till next week.

SPEAKER_00 20:39

Well, hopefully you guys find this funny because it's quite a bit of fun to record, actually, to be fair, and it just gives us a little bit of a bit of an insight and just the stupidity of us as well. It just makes us a bit more human being.

SPEAKER_01 20:49

Shall we set the listeners a challenge?

SPEAKER_00 20:51

Yeah, why not?

SPEAKER_01 20:52

What can we get the listeners to do?

SPEAKER_00 20:54

Share the share the podcast out to about 800 people each.

SPEAKER_01 21:03

Yeah. Who you think might find value in it. Yeah. That's it. Sweet. That's a good one. And if you don't do it, then Chris will call you a loser. Yeah. And that he won. We had a really good intro, how should we finish this one out? See you later. That's been another episode of the Untold Podcast bonus session. Where me and Chris are finding our feet, and Chris is a bit of a dick.

SPEAKER_00 21:27

Bye bye.