The True Meaning Of Accountability

So many people in their personal development know that they need to be held more accountable. They believe that if they actually did what they said they were going to do, became more disciplined in the habits and routines that make them feel and perform at their best, they’d actually start generating the results they want in life.

When can you hold yourself accountable, you can make yourself do the things you know you need to do to succeed even when you don’t feel like it. When someone else holds you accountable, it creates an expectation and social pressure to follow through because if you don’t, you’re letting them down.

Accountability is extremely powerful and one of the most impactful things anyone can add to their life to help them live with more discipline, integrity, consistency, and honor.

Yet… People are missing the true meaning of what it means to be held accountable. The meaning lives within the word itself: ‘Account’ and ‘Ability’

To ‘account’ for something means to keep track of it. It means that you’re aware of and understand the state of how things are. Just like accounting in business is keeping track of the ins and outs of your money, accounting in actions is an honest documentation of what you did or didn’t do.

‘Ability’ is just about taking action. That you have what you need to actually do something.

Through that lens, ‘accountability’ is ‘to take action toward keeping track’. This means there’s no expectation for what you actually do... You are accountable when you take the time to look at how you did with something - good, bad, or otherwise.

Now the reason accountability works to drive consistency and follow through is because in keeping track of your actions and choices, you’re forced to be honest with yourself. You’re forced to face up to your lapses in judgment, priorities that aren’t being prioritized, and results that you’re tolerating. Just looking at yourself honestly, and being accountable to that, creates a vulnerable layer of awareness that fuels positive change.

So in practice, to be accountable isn’t to do what you said you were going to do (although that often is the byproduct of it). It’s just to report back on how you did, to keep track of how things are going no matter what happened.

And if you don’t have your own personal performance tracking system, and the habit of completing an honest reflection every day, then you’ll never be able to hold yourself accountable. But if you want help getting started in being more accountable, disciplined, and focused on your goals...

In the 21 Day Super Habits Challenge I help you implement the exact self-accountability system I’ve used for a decade that is singlehandedly responsible for all of the growth and success I’ve had. It's your choice! If you want to be more consistent, disciplined, and accountable, this is the best way I know!