Have you ever noticed how hard it can be to hold yourself accountable?
I mean, how many goals do we set ourselves that just never get achieved?
And it can be goals about anything…
* This weekend I’ll sort through my clothes and tidy up my cupboards
* Every day this week I’ll walk 10,000 steps
* I’ll get that online training done by the end of the month
* I’m going to eat just salad for lunch for the next 6 weeks
And then before we know it…
* Netflix suddenly seems so interesting and the cupboards are still a mess
* It rained 4 days this week so I used that as an excuse not to walk on those days
* I was ‘so busy’ that I never got round to scheduling time for that training
* Week 2 and a burger and fries start to accompany the salad
Accountability kinda goes out the window as we distract ourselves with something easier or focus our energy on covering things up.
The secret sauce to avoid ‘avoiding’, I think, is to ensure your goals are grounded in heartfelt meaning or purpose and are part of a longer term plan or event.
Let’s revisit…
* This weekend I’ll sort through my clothes and tidy up my cupboards so that I can make space for when my family, who hasn’t been here for 3 years, comes to visit next month. I want them to feel welcome and comfortable.
* Every day this week I’ll walk 10,000 steps because it will connect me with nature, I’ll breathe fresh air, and support my physical and mental health so I can be my best self looking after my family, and my team at work while we tackle this challenging project
* I’ll get that online training done by the end of the month because it’s essential for getting that promotion I feel so ready for
* I’m only going to eat salad for lunch for the next 6 weeks because I want to look and feel my best as bridesmaid for my best friend’s wedding
Other useful hints and tips for holding yourself accountable include:
🙌 Make sure you have short-term milestones. We love the feeling of ticking things off our list and short-term milestones help us do this and keep us motivated, and breaking things down into achievable chunks keeps us on the path we chose
👏 Reward yourself for what you achieve – it’s important to recognise your effort and commitment
✍️ Create a plan or a schedule, and make sure it’s easily visible, like stuck to the fridge or as a screensaver on your mobile. Or timeboxed in your online calendar
🤝 Have an accountability partner, someone you trust to keep you on target and who will challenge and encourage you if (when) you wane or the going gets tough
Remember that these goals are yours, these are your choices and your actions, and if your really want to achieve them, it’s down to YOU. So don’t fall into blame mode or make excuses. Own your choices!
❓Are you struggling with personal accountability?
❓What are your avoiding tactics?
❓What choices do you want to make going forward, and why?
