Increase Your Personal Accountability To Reach Your Goals
We all know someone who is never late. They say they’ll show up for a happy hour at 6:30, and they already have a table when you roll in it 6:37.
Or maybe it’s a business contact that always returns your emails on time. They always seem to have their act together, and your phone rings exactly at the time they said they’d call.
Whether it’s your friend or your colleague, these people have personal accountability. You trust them to do what they say they’re going to do when they say they’re going to do it.
Increasing your own accountability isn’t just something you should do because it’s courteous. Personal accountability is a huge predictor of success. Not to mention it’ll make you feel good.
Being Accountable Makes You Feel Good
When we don’t do something we said we would, we experience something called cognitive dissonance. In essence, when you agreed to that meeting, your brain said: “I’m now the type of person who goes to this meeting.”
When you don’t show, your brain gets confused. “I’m the type of person who goes to this meeting, but I didn’t go.” Your brain doesn’t like that feeling. It can have some pretty bad consequences if you consistently skip your obligations.
Nobody Likes To Be “That Guy”
We are wired as social creatures. Even if you’re an introvert, your brain needs positive social interaction. It’s how we reassure ourselves that we’re safe. Everyone wants to be liked.
Nobody wants to be “that guy.” You know the one I’m talking about.
The one you agree to meet for drinks at 6, but you don’t even bother getting there until 6:30 because you know he won’t be there before 7.
Every time you flake on an obligation, you become that guy a little bit more. Your brain rewires itself to get rid of that cognitive dissonance. It decides you’re now the type of person who agrees to do things and doesn’t.
It’s Bad For Your Psychology To Flake Out
Think about your goals for a second. I’m assuming everything that came to mind, you actually want to do. Now, think about past goals.
For right now, focus on the things you set out to do that you actually completed. How did it feel to check them off the list?
Now, think about those goals that are still on the list. The ones where you came up short or didn’t even try. How do they make you feel?
Personal accountability leads to more goals being in the completed camp. When you say you’ll do something, you do it. Full stop. That’s the kind of thinking that’s needed to accomplish lofty goals.
When you lack personal accountability, you flake. When you flake, it’s harder to think you’re the type of person who does what they say. See the problem?
Being Accountable Makes Others Trust You
Personal accountability builds trust. When you have the guts to follow-through on the things you say you’ll do, other people see that.
They know they can ask you to do something and you’ll get it done. That’s the kind of trust that leads to better relationships, promotions, and stronger communities.
People Want To Know You’re Reliable
It may seem like I’m beating a dead horse here, but it’s true. The only way to increase personal accountability is to start being accountable to others.
When you agree to do something for someone, do it. If you know it’s something you can’t do, don’t agree to do it. Nobody wants a yes man, they want someone they can trust.
Over time, those around you will learn that you’re reliable. They’ll begin to trust you with bigger and better things because they know your character.
You Have To Do What You Say You Will
The devil really is in the details here. If you say you’ll send an email next week, send it. If you say you’ll call, their phone better ring.
People remember broken promises more than they remember the things you actually did. So you have to work hard to make sure you don’t break those promises.
Do the things you say you’ll do when you say you’ll do them.
As you do this more and more, your brain will rewire itself. It’ll decide you’re the type of person who is there for others. The type of person who follows through.
That’ll make it easier when you start trying to tackle those big financial goals. You’ll have the personal accountability in place to make the tough decisions in service of the bigger picture.
Being Accountable Makes Financial Sense
Smart financial decisions take discipline. They often need you to sacrifice things you want now to secure yourself later. That takes personal accountability to pull off.
You have to decide that it’s worth it to save for retirement instead of spending all your take-home pay. Importantly, you don’t have to decide this once.
You have to make this decision every. Single. paycheck.
Personal Accountability Means Following Through
When you set financial goals, be the type of person who follows through. Personal accountability is the only way to ensure this happens.
If you aren’t personally accountable, you’ll go out to eat instead of cooking at home and saving that money. Sure, you agreed with yourself you’d only eat out once a week, but you’re hungry and lazy now.
If you lack personal accountability, you’ll consistently fall victim to these traps. You’ll find reasons to do the things you said you wouldn’t, or not do the things you said you would.
You’ll trap yourself, unable to make progress toward living a life that excites you.
You Can’t Achieve Financial Goals Without Accountability
There is no shortcut to financial freedom. You have to make the tough decisions and have the will to stick with them.
I help my clients by providing outside accountability, but everyone has to be personally accountable. Clients won't be successful if they don't take the accountability they feel to me and apply it to themselves.
The only way to change your poor financial habits and get your money under control is by being accountable to your past and future selves.
You have to show up day-in and day-out, and do the tough things you know will lead to financial success.
Conclusion
Personal accountability is the secret to success. When you show up for yourself and do the things you say you will, you’ll make progress.
All goals are achieved one step at a time. Personal accountability gives you the will power to take that step, even when it feels like you’re stuck in quicksand.
Financial goals especially benefit from the type of accountability required to make tough choices. To live a life that excites you, you have to decide what things to leave behind.
Then you have to have the personal accountability to stick to that decision.