Accountability Is In Being Answerable

Another meaning of Accountability is “being answerable”. When you are accountable, it means you are responsible for meeting some obligations.

You can be answerable to someone else or yourself. Either way, when you are answerable, there is a sense of Accountability. This then creates that seriousness in you to do whatever needs to be done.

Without Accountability, there is always a tendency to let things drift.

Think of the times you started on something and gave up midway. Most times, it would be because there was no accountability. You were not answerable to anyone, including yourself, for the results.

For e.g. you have a desire to diet and reduce weight. You start with a regimen for a week, and then there are two days of ill-discipline and the plan dies. Now the same situation, if you replay it with a fitness coach to whom you have to answer for your actions, how likely is it that you will give up on your plan? Very unlikely.

When you are answerable to someone(or even yourself) for some result with a specific deadline, your accountability increases by order of magnitude.

In picking up a skill or dropping a bad habit or creating a new positive habit, or taking on some goal, create a situation where you have someone watching over you. It will automatically develop a sense of urgency and Accountability.

Nothing is more powerful than the sense of Accountability that comes from being answerable to yourself and others for your actions.