Accountability is the act of taking responsibility for your own actions and results; results are the consequences of the actions. Being accountable for your own actions and the consequences that come along with them, will ultimately empower you to make decisions that will produce the results you want. Simply put, when you are personally accountable, you are honest with yourself, therefore increasing your ability for success with your goals long-term. Staying accountable will help you focus, stay motivated and help keep you from slipping. There are some tricks that will help you achieve accountability for your new habits and will help them stick long-term.
Start with smaller, mini goals. Breaking down your goal into smaller, achievable steps will help you feel less overwhelmed, therefore produce more success. Celebrating these small successes along the way will give you more confidence and motivation. Hold yourself accountable during the process and you will find yourself more productive and ready to conquer your goal.
Accountability is made easier with a partner. An accountability partner is someone who you’ve opened up to about your desired new habit or goal and is willing to help you through the process. Ideally, your partner should be committed and willing to give you unbiased feedback. Also, when you are responsible to answer to someone else for your actions, you are more likely to stay on track to avoid having to tell your partner you didn’t hold up your end of the deal.
Self-examination is the study of your own behavior and actions. This skill is very important when it comes to long-term success with the new habit you want to form. Regularly reread what you’ve written about your goals. Think about what’s working and not working for you and be willing to adjust your behaviors accordingly. Although your goal will remain the same, your plans on how to achieve it may change depending on your experiences during the process. Think about what your stumbling blocks have been and make plans to overcome future pitfalls by thinking of solutions and how to put them to use.
Forming a new habit is not necessarily a short process. You must be willing to hold yourself accountable, be patient and flexible along the way. If you’re committed and follow through with your plans, you will achieve long-term success in forming your new habit.
