Accountability

Let’s talk accountability.

What is accountability? It is said to be the state or quality of being accountable especially with regard to an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions.

In other words, it is doing what you say you are going to do and when you don’t own it and accepting the consequences.

I was listening to a Simon Sinek podcast the other day and he was saying how it is easy to let ourselves down but it’s not as easy to let someone else down. This is why if we have a gym buddy, for example, we are more likely to go to the gym. … accountability.

Why would we want accountability in our lives?

Accountability helps us create a commitment or to show dedication toward some goal, whether it is running a 5k or attaining certain key performance indicators (KPIs) at your workplace.

Accountability helps us stay committed and focused:

As mentioned in the gym example above, we are 100% okay with letting ourselves down but when we are accountable to someone else, we are less likely to fail. This is true both personally and, on the work front. If you regularly discuss your key performance indicators (KPIs) with your boss, you are more likely to succeed.

Accountability creates discipline:

I have a personal trainer who holds me accountable for my goals at the gym. Because of this continued practice, when she goes on leave, I am more easily able to go to the gym myself and train. The continued commitment and accountability have created a discipline within me.

Accountability helps us get creative:

Now, this may seem like an oxymoron but when you are being held accountable for something, you are more likely to get creative and find alternative solutions when you hit a stumbling block. If you want to watch a movie that isn’t on Netflix, no problem, you’ll watch something else. You promise your kids you’ll watch a movie, you will make a plan.

Accountability accelerates your performance:

Working with someone, helps you motivate and push yourself; you will also be more likely to do the things you don’t want to do and avoid. A simple example of this is burpees. I used to hate burpees, so my personal trainer made me do a lot of them! Every session! Now, I don’t hate burpees so much. If I had been training by myself, I would probably have swapped out burpees for something else which would have been less challenging and therefore my results would have been disappointing.

Accountability keeps you engaged:

We all have good days and bad days, and that is okay but when you have someone who is holding you accountable for your actions, you are more likely to “suck it up” and show up. You stay engaged because you don’t want to let the other person down. A great example of this is running, I often run with a club and I find if I just show up, I often tend to run further than I planned and I run faster. I am engaged with the run and with the other runners and I always surprise myself.

As a life coach, one of my core functions is to hold my clients accountable.

Recovering or preventing burnout requires changes to be made and some of these changes are challenging. By being held accountable, it is easier to implement these changes and then stick with them thereby creating positive habits which result in positive lifestyle changes. And these lifestyle changes are what is required to recover from and/or prevent burnout.

Are you suffering from burnout? Use this quiz to find out.