Accountability: What is it?
Accountability simply means holding yourself accountable for your success or failure.
Want the truth?
No one really cares if you accomplish your goals. There may be a few exceptions, but no one else is going to care about your success as much as you.
The beginning of the year is a great time to set new goals because there’s a wave a motivation that overcomes you. While there’s nothing wrong with that, the motivation will wear off eventually. What you do after the motivation is gone is completely up to you.
Let us just remind you that you CAN accomplish your goals, but you have to want to do it. You have to be willing to hold yourself accountable for the outcome (and every step along the way).
So how can you hold yourself accountable?
There are several ways to keep yourself accountable, but here are our favorites:
- Prepare for what you need.
No matter what your New Year’s goal is, be sure to get all the materials you may need in advance! It’s harder to stick to a goal if you’re having to go out of your way all the time to stick to the plan. It’s also a good idea to get rid of anything that may hold you back from your goal. If your goal is to eat healthier, be sure to stock up on healthier food and get rid of any junk food you may have in your house. You can’t reach for the cookies if you don’t have any accessible!
- The Buddy System.
It’s an age-old trick, but we firmly believe in it. Having a supportive partner or team is one of the greatest ways to keep yourself accountable. When you know there are other people involved in your journey, you’re more likely to stick to the plan. Surrounding yourself with motivation and support will be the most sure-fire way to keep yourself on track!
- Write down your goal.
Having a goal is great, but writing it down is even better! Hang it on your fridge, put it on your calendar, post it in your office. A big part of staying accountable is having your goal in the fore-front of your mind at all times. Don’t let yourself forget what you’re working towards. Writing your goal down also makes it subliminally more “concrete”.
- Micro-goals.
If you recall from last weeks blog, we talked briefly about micro-goals (or short-term goals). Short term goals are important because they’re leading you up to the success of your long-term goal. It’s easy to procrastinate, so having small, consistent goals will help keep you on track for the big picture. This also keeps you accountable, because you will constantly have smaller, newer goals to work towards. You’re less likely to procrastinate and more likely to achieve that “big picture” goal.
- Use Apps!
It’s no secret that technology is taking over. If you frequently use your phone, put the technology to good use! There are a ton of apps that can help you organize your goals and track your progress. If nothing else, we recommend using your phone’s calendar! Schedule all your goals and notifications as another way to keep you constantly reminded of your goal! Bonus points if you use apps that connect you with your friends and family so they can see your progress too!
Even if you don’t want to use your smart phone as a means of tracking your progress, a journal or notebook will work just as well! However you want to go about it, be sure you’re keeping track of your progress. It’s important to know exactly where you started and how far you’ve come! This also ties into micro-goals. Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned and perhaps you aren’t making as much progress as you initially planned. That’s okay! Assess your progress and reconfigure your plan! If you can’t reach your goal by the original deadline, use that as motivation to work harder. It doesn’t mean you need to give up.!
- Go Pro
Whatever your goal is, we always recommend seeking out a professional. Whether it’s a one-time consultation, or on-going training, a professional will be able to go over your goals and the best methods in which you can achieve them. Progress is personal, and no two people are just alike. Professionals are often able to offer better advice and more specific information related to the struggles you may be facing. Utilize their wisdom and take it seriously!
Extra side note: it’s always important that you feel comfortable with whoever you’re working with. Again, no two people are just alike, and you shouldn’t settle for an advisor who you don’t 100% trust. Building a strong relationship with someone whose job is to help you will only make their job (and your work) that much easier.
Accountability is a huge part of your progress. You won’t get very far without it!
We wanted to provide a list of ways in which you can keep yourself accountable. We suggest choosing at least 2-3 methods that you can use to keep yourself accountable. Honestly, the more the merrier.
If you enjoyed this blog post, be sure to check out our Facebook page Cape Martial Arts. As part of the New Year, we’re bringing daily content to help keep you on-track and motivated all month long!
This was Part 2 of our 5-Part blog series covering New Year’s Resolutions. We make other daily posts on our Facebook post related these blog posts intended to encourage, inspire and motivate you along your journey.
Happy New Year!