The Power of Personal Accountability

“Okay, I will wake up on time from tomorrow onwards and head straight to the gym.”

“I will start writing the next chapter tomorrow. I was too busy today.”

“It’s not my best work because I was feeling so tired today.”

Do you find these lines familiar? You must have used one of them yourself. They are simply excuses that help you get out of things you don’t want to do. It’s alright, as sometimes, we don’t feel like doing much.

However, when this becomes a habit, it’s time to make a change.

If you want to lead a happy, contented, and prosperous life, it’s time to accept personal accountability. This post will walk you through what it means and how you can learn to be responsible for yourself.

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What is Personal Accountability?

Think about your reaction when something is wrong in your life. Do you blame the situation, timing, environment, or someone else for the whole thing? Or do you engage in some self-reflection and think about what you did wrong and how you can rectify it?

If you are stuck in the “blame game,” you will always be at the starting point. However, if you take responsibility and start looking for solutions, you will finish the race with success.

Personal accountability is all about being responsible for oneself. You don’t blame someone or something for your life’s failures and troubles. Instead, you take responsibility for what occurs and try to make things right.

In clear terms, it is the willingness to answer for the outcomes arising from your choices, actions, and behaviors.

Why is personal Accountability Important?

While it is tempting to blame others, it only makes your life difficult. If you keep on finding excuses for your unattained goals, incomplete tasks, and your problems, you will always be rooted in the same place and never grow as a person.

When you commit to being personally accountable, you can even walk through fire!

First, taking responsibility for your actions will boost your self-confidence and self-esteem. You will learn to rely on yourself and be on the path to achieving your goals. It will also assist you in building positive relationships both professionally and personally. The lack of accountability is a severe issue for lack of trust in any relationship.

Personal accountability can help save time and cost as well. People who take responsibility for their actions don’t waste time blaming but rather start looking for solutions. This prevents the situation from worsening and saves the cost and time that will arise from delay.

How to Achieve Personal Accountability?

Personal accountability is essential for a successful life, yet many individuals struggle with it. Here are some strategies that will help you be more accountable.

1. Create Goals for Yourself

It is hard for you to be self-accountable when you have no idea what you are supposed to do. So, the first strategy is to set goals for yourself – it doesn’t matter if they are long-term or short-term.

You can set daily goals, like a task list of what you will complete in a day – for instance, write the first chapter for your novel, study a lesson, complete a design project outline, or whatever you wish to achieve. Or you can also go for weekly or monthly goals.

However, don’t try to take on too much. Setting reasonable goals with a time limit and schedule for successful outcomes is best.

2. Time Management Skills

Personal accountability and time management share a co-dependent relationship – one is impossible without the other. The main excuse for not getting work done on time is usually – “I didn’t have enough time.” However, the problem here is not lack of time but lack of time management skills.

You can define your daily tasks and set a time limit aside for them. So that you are aware that you need to complete this work within this period. It will be difficult initially, but you will eventually master the skill.

3. Change Your Mindset from Should to Must

For accountability, you should transform your mindset by turning your “should” into “musts”. You might have listed down things you should do: lose weight, learn guitar, find a new job, or write a novel.

To turn them into “musts”, make them your main purpose in life. Understand that they are essential for your happiness.

4. Be Honest with Yourself

To be self-accountable in life, you have to be honest with yourself. If something goes wrong in your life, you should set aside your pride and accept your mistake. Try to reflect on what you did wrong and how you can avoid it in future. Everyone makes mistakes and what’s important is to learn from them.

5. Develop a Habit of Journaling

Journaling records your feelings, thoughts, insights, and more. It can be on paper, your laptop, a diary, or a professional journal book. The main thing is journaling can help to develop accountability.

What you have to do is take out 30 minutes when your day ends.

Start writing or typing about what you achieved today and what you could not in your journal. Then, list out why you can’t complete all your goals.

It will help you to engage in self-reflection and make you more responsible for your actions.

The Bottom Line

Contrary to popular belief, making changes in your life is hard, especially breaking your habits, mindset and how you look at yourself. However, with hard work, determination, and patience, nothing is impossible – not even becoming self-accountable.

Ultimately, to be successful in life professionally and personally, you have to be responsible for your actions. These strategies will help you to be more accountable.

So, what are you waiting for?

All you have to do is make small changes in your life, and you will see a big difference.