“Accountability means to say what you do, do what you say.” – Pearl Zhu
Accountability can be a tricky thing. On the one hand, it’s a great motivator for getting you to do things like go to bed earlier or start eating healthier. On the other hand, it’s also a great way of making yourself feel bad about yourself when you slip up and don’t meet your goals.
But if you want to succeed in life (and who doesn’t?) then learning how to hold yourself accountable is essential. It helps you keep track of your progress and make sure that even if something goes wrong, you’re still moving forward towards your goal.
Here are some ways you can hold yourself accountable:
Make sure you’re aware of what your goals are. If you don’t know what they are, how can you hold yourself accountable for achieving them?
Set goals that are specific and measurable—so that if you fail to meet them, then at least you have an idea why they weren’t met (and what could be done differently next time).
Set up a system. Have someone who will check in with you regularly on your progress. This person should be someone who knows what your goals are and will ask you about them regularly. They should also be someone who will remind you about the consequences if things go wrong (which will help keep those consequences in mind). Make sure that this person isn’t afraid to tell it like it is when they see something isn’t working out as planned. You’ll need someone who can be honest with you without being mean or hurtful about it—someone who won’t let their own feelings get in the way of telling you when something isn’t going well or needs improvement.
Talk about what steps you’re taking. This allows others around us who might be able to help us achieve these goals or just share encouragement along the way!
Keep track of your progress—even if it’s just writing down what day it is every evening before bed so that next morning when you wake up, it’s right there in front of your face as a reminder!
Be kind to yourself!
None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes, and we must learn from them as best we can. The most important thing to remember is that you are not a failure if you slip up along the way—you are simply human, trying to grow and better yourself.
