How to Make Yourself Accountable to Yourself
You might be accountable to your boss at work, but how often have you committed to yourself, whether it's working out more, eating healthier, or studying harder, but you just can't seem to follow through? It's frustrating when we know what we need to do to better ourselves but can't seem to make it happen. But don't worry, there is a solution! In this post, I will teach you how to make yourself accountable to yourself and finally achieve your goals.
Let's start with setting specific and realistic goals: If you want to make sure that you stay accountable for your actions, it's essential to set specific and realistic goals that are measurable and attainable. Whether it's dropping a certain amount of weight by next month or increasing the number of days you exercise per week, being clear about what you want to achieve will help keep you on track.
Create reminders for yourself: In addition to setting specific goals, another effective way to stay accountable is to create mental or physical reminders for yourself throughout the day. These could be visual cues like sticky notes around your house or office, or they might simply be simple phrases or mantras that keep you on track during challenging times. Whatever method works best for you, finding ways to remind yourself of your goals constantly can help keep you committed over the long term.
Be consistent: Whether you're trying to get in shape or mastering a new skill, it's important to set achievable goals and stick to them. This means making time for regular practice and always putting in your best effort, even when you don't feel like it.
Hold yourself accountable: Along with staying consistent with your goals, it's also essential to hold yourself responsible for mistakes and failures. Rather than beating yourself up or dwelling on what went wrong, use every setback as an opportunity for growth and reflection.
Check-in with others: Sometimes, the best way to stay self-accountable is by enlisting the help of others. Whether you're meeting regularly with a friend or coach, discussing your progress each week on social media, or posting updates on your goal boards, sharing your journey will help keep you motivated over the long haul.
Review your performance: You can review at the end of each task or review all of your tasks at the end of the day. Make a note of your successes and failures.
● What do you feel good about?
● What embarrassed you about your performance today?
● What can you learn that will make you more effective?
Reward and punish yourself as appropriate: Give yourself a reward when you do well. When you're not performing up to your standards, discipline yourself. Most people don't have trouble thinking of rewards, but here are a few ideas for punishments:
● Don't allow yourself to watch TV for a week.
● Give money to a charity you disapprove of.
● Don't allow yourself to ride your motorcycle for a month.
● Embarrass yourself publicly.
● Snap your wrist with a big rubber band.
● Force yourself to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a week.
● Make yourself watch a news channel that you despise.
Let's recap: Set realistic goals that are measurable and attainable, create reminders for yourself, be consistent, hold yourself accountable, check in with others, be honest with yourself and give yourself grace when needed, and finally, celebrate your accomplishments along the way, no matter how small they seem.
What strategy will you use to hold yourself accountable? Feel free to comment below.