This is the end of this set of posts. I have wanted to look at the inner workings of our head and what we can do to really make a difference in our lives and now I think is the final chapter. Accountability to yourself.
What is Accountability?
Accountability is the answering for our actions. Most of the time in families and at work there are certain expectations that are put on us and we are able to live up to these expectations, usually because they are expected of us.
In our personal lives though this is the difference between success and failure. The only person that we are accountable for our success in health, fitness, financial success, and personal happiness is ourselves. No one to answer to but ourselves may mean beating ourselves up about lack or accepting and blaming outside forces for it.
Do We Really Have Personal Control? Can We Be Accountable to Ourselves?
This is one of those questions that I believe is an easy answer. Yes, I do believe that we have control over our destiny. Sure there are always roadblocks that we have no control over, there are others that may be against us, but if we want to make change, if we want to succeed in something, almost anything, then yes we can make changes, make plans, execute and alter plans until we succeed.
Accountability is in our control!
Yes in fact even though we see and tend to listen to others in either laziness or their own agendas we do in fact have ourselves to answer to and it is critically important to make sure that you always do what YOU need to do for yourself before worrying about what others need. It reminds me of when you are on a plane and they do the oxygen mask demo, ever notice they say put YOUR mask on before putting your kids mask on. This makes sense, think if you put your kids mask on but pass out first then you can’t save either of you.
One of the greatest things that I learned from The Biggest Loser TV Show was that people, no matter what position that they find themselves in can make changes in their lives. Of course on that show they have a lot of things going for them (we will look at this) but still almost everyone on that show during the season makes huge changes.
How Can We Be More Accountable to Ourselves?
There are a few ways that we can become more accountable and I will use the contestants on The Biggest Loser to illustrate them.
Focus – On the Biggest Loser Ranch they do not exactly what they are supposed to be doing. They are there to lose weight. They rely on other people there, they have left their families, they don’t have access to junk food but when the cameras are rolling they know that the only thing that matters is the Big Giant Scale and the weekly weigh-in.
Adaptability – We all have the ability to change and adapt and that is a tool to our own accountability. On the Biggest Loser they have their bodies changes, metabolism changing, team dynamics changing and through all of this it still comes down to knowing what they want and accepting then the changes that they have to make.
Confidence – In our life as in our family and work lives we need to have confidence that we are good enough to make the changes that we need. If you have low confidence then you will not be able to make those changes but why would you accept yourself as being less. You are really the only one that matters for your own life so have the confidence that you can do whatever it is that you want. Live YOUR life to the fullest. (No Biggest Loser comment needed here)
Importance – The world needs us, all of us. You may be making great strides or not at work or home, but really there is a lot that the world needs. We live in the greatest time in the history of the world and at the same time there is the greatest stress on the planet, extinction of animals and the worst poverty in the history of the planet. It is important that we look at our lives as being an extension, a help to the planet and so be accountable not just to yourself but all of those around you as well.
I know that there may be a lot that I have missed on accountability. Wow, I bet we could do a book on it here today. But, the most important thing that i want to leave you with today is to realize that you are very important and it is this importance that means that you need to be accountable to yourself, that accountability will lead to a great self confidence and an opportunity to help yourself in all areas of your life.
