Holding Ourselves Accountable

We have talked about change, we have explored changing the narrative but all of those ideas without accountability add up to a small amount of fluff. While we do want to approach change in a compassionate light, there is a responsibility to uphold a delicate balance. The balance is one of both compassion and accountability.

How many times have we given up on ourselves because it was too hard or took too much work to hold ourselves accountable? What goals have you let drift to the side because thoughts derailed you from pursuit? While this is understandable and we always have a chance to try again, there is comfort in the status quo. Without accountability, we allow ourselves to slip back into those old habits that no longer serve us. While motivation can light a fire, it is determination and discipline that creates lasting habits. That brings us to accountability.

What does it mean to hold ourselves truly accountable? It means calling ourselves out for the BS that floats through our minds on a daily basis. It means acknowledging the excuses that might take hold of you from time to time or the times when we may not see ourselves clearly. It is taking hold of our actions and behaviors and cultivating a practice of intentionality. Asking yourself if your thoughts, feelings and behaviors are coming from a place of fear or empowerment can give much needed guidance to holding ourselves accountable and developing insight into our inner world. With fear, we experience avoidance, detachment, anxiety, and suppression. When we take the time to hold ourselves accountable, we empower ourselves to take control over our experience and provide it with direction.

What might be the areas of your life that could use slightly more direction? What might be stopping you from holding yourself accountable? What would change about you or need to change about you to get to a place where accountability was commonplace?

While we all have moments in time where we allow ourselves to go with the flow of life, there are times when we crave accountability or the other people in our lives crave it for us. Accountability is not just for ourselves, but dictates how we show up for the others in our lives who count on us and relate to us on a daily basis. Are we showing up for ourselves and for them in a positive way? Can we continue to strive for balance in approaching ourselves with both compassion and accountability? Maybe this can be our new normal.