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Look at the different areas of your life…do you like what you see? Are you doing what you thought you would be? At this stage of your life, do you have what you thought you would have? Are you showing up as the person you want to be? If people were to describe you, what would they say? Are you driven with purpose each day? If you said, “No” to many of these questions, you are not alone.
There was a time when I thought, “If I work hard, someone will discover me.” OR “Maybe, I will meet my knight in shining armour and he will give me the life I always dreamed of.” I am sure God and the Universe had a good laugh. What I learned was that if something was to be, it was going to be up to me! I could get trapped in a victim mentality believing that if these things did not come to pass, it was someone else’s fault or I had something to complain about. Perhaps you have suffered from victim mentality at one time or another. What you may have learned is not too many people want to hang out with someone who is complaining or having a pity party. You do not gain anything – you only feel worse.
Accountability is not about pointing fingers or finding someone to blame. To be accountable, you are accounting for your behaviour and actions. There may be times you are following up with someone to ensure they have completed a task or request – holding others accountable. It is easier to do that than hold ourselves accountable, especially if things are not going as planned.
By taking ownership or how I like to call it, “OWN YOUR STUFF” – you get out of the victim mode and you get to be part of the solution, suddenly, you are invested which means you are committed to achieving a certain outcome. You can influence your outcome versus waiting for something to happen for you. In every situation, each individual plays a part in owning their stuff – 100% responsibility for what they contribute to the situation. There is no 50-50-60-40, or 70-30 – 100% -100%. Avoiding taking accountability is like having sticky gum stuck to your shoe until you pay attention to it. If you do not like the way something is playing out in your life, pay attention to it. How did you contribute to the situation? What do you want to happen? What actions are you taking to get the outcomes you want? By self-reflecting, you are starting to see what your role may have been in the situation.
Start taking accountability by:
- Determine What’s Most Important to YOU -What are your core values?
- Visualize Your Success
- Be intentional with Your Actions
- Own Your Stuff
- Readjust the Course
Taking accountability for your actions and outcomes does not mean you are weak or less than perfect. Accountability has little to do with perfection. Do what you say you are going to do. Simple concept. Some people avoid accountability because they have not determined what’s important to them, they get scared of the potential consequences, they are not confident they can follow through on the outcomes – successful or not, they may not be invested in the vision or goal, or they may not see themselves as being an important catalyst of the outcome.
Accountability starts with you! Pay attention to the feedback – your outcomes. Are you getting the results you want? What’s working? What’s not working? What do you need to continue to do or change? The hard part about being accountable to looking at your current reality and seeing how you have contributed or not contributed to the reality you said you wanted. Sometimes it hurts to see how you have been getting in your own way. However, when you step up and take accountability, you own your words and actions, you can change your life.
Have you ever wanted to get physically fit? Many people find that having an accountability partner helps. By creating an experience of meeting up at the gym to work out or checking in to verify that you have done what you said you are going to do, you will want to ensure you do not let them down or have a less favourable response. You would rather do what needs to get done than tell them you did not complete the task at hand.
You may hold more compassion for others as you realize if you want others to “own their stuff” – don’t expect perfection. Be empathetic. People will be more gracious and forgiving to you when you fall from perfection. By holding yourself and others accountable you are able to get the results and outcomes you want. Avoid accountability and the problem will fester until it grabs your attention. By that time, relationships may be damaged and results halted.
Expect more from yourself. You know in your heart you can do better at holding yourself accountable. Choose one thing to do differently to hold yourself accountable – and watch your life change. Start getting the results you want. No excuses.
What are you going to do today to hold yourself accountable?
We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!
DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com
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