From Excuses to Excellence

Are you someone who has the skill of listening?

I mean someone that is really present and isn't just waiting to respond?

Yes, I said skill.

If so..... you may have noticed that we are all the next great entrepreneurs......we all have the next best idea.

We are going to break free from the shackles and become the 1 %.

So why do so many of us speak so convincingly?

Why do we light up speaking and thinking about what we will achieve, yet never get close to it?

If you don't know why you should keep your plans quiet, make sure you read my article about dopamine.

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only 8% of people achieve their New Year's resolutions, while 92% of people fail to achieve them. However, individuals who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't explicitly make resolutions - (Matthews, 2015)

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What sets the high performers apart is real action!

That might be an obvious statement.

For most of us, it's the accountability that is missing.

We take enough action to always be moving forward but not enough to propel us forward.

What is accountability?

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Accountability is a critical component of high performance, reaching your goals, and living a successful life.

It is the willingness to take responsibility for your actions and the outcomes they produce.

Accountability involves being answerable to others, holding yourself to a higher standard, and making a commitment to follow through on your promises.

Without taking responsibility for your actions, you will find it hard to stay motivated and focused on your goals.

You might experience:

• Lack of progress: You struggle to make progress towards your goals and often feel stuck, not knowing what to do next.
• Lack of direction: Without being accountable, you lack a clear direction and purpose in life. You might feel lost and unsure of what you want to achieve.
• Lack of commitment: You struggle to commit to your goals and often give up when faced with challenges or setbacks.
• Lack of confidence: Without taking responsibility for your actions, you might lack confidence in yourself and your abilities to achieve your goals.
• Increased stress and anxiety: The lack of accountability can increase stress and anxiety levels, as you feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to achieve your goals.
• Missed opportunities: Without being accountable, you might miss out on opportunities to grow and develop, both personally and professionally.
• Feelings of regret: Not being accountable and not achieving your goals can lead to feelings of regret and disappointment

Lacking accountability can negatively impact your life and prevent you from achieving your full potential.

By taking ownership of your actions and committing to being accountable, you can increase your chances of success and create a more fulfilling life.

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Accountability is not punishment; it's a way of life. It's a daily practice that enables you to keep your commitments, learn from your mistakes, and continuously improve." - Darren Hardy

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It's time to stand up tall

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"Accountability separates the wishers from the action-takers." - John Di Lemme

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Having started my first business at 23, I can say, I have made a lot of mistakes and learnt along the way.

For the first few years, I was always looking for the person that made the mistake to alleviate any personal blame and accountability.

I wasn't accountable to myself for achieving what I wanted, I just worked as hard as I could each day.

This was learnt behaviour; growing up I regularly witnessed a lack of accountability and resolve to stand up tall and be counted.

Problems were always down to others, circumstances, resources and luck.

Whilst this combination installed desire and grit to succeed and reach my full potential, it took some time to understand accountability.

It's not to say sh*t happens outside of your control every day, it's to say that when you understand you are accountable for everything and take action no matter what, the journey becomes clear.

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If you are accountable, you will make sure you stand strong, and deal with life regardless if it's 'your fault' or not.

If there is a problem (there will be) and you are accountable, it's resolved first and examined second.

You are responsible for achieving what you want to achieve!

You are responsible for learning from failures!

You are responsible for self-discipline!

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I witness daily the opposite of this, examine first, find the excuses, detail the excuses, bury your head in the sand then maybe find the solution.

The issue with this is how long it can take you each time to get back into your routine, resolve the problem or adjust your goals.

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when participants were held accountable for their decisions, they were more likely to make choices that were consistent with their long-term goals (Fishbach & Dhar, 2005).

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The Stats

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What being accountable does for you:-

• Increases motivation: People are 65% more likely to meet a goal after committing to someone else, and the probability of achieving a goal increases to 95% when there is a specific accountability appointment (ASTD).
• Improves goal commitment: Accountability enhances goal commitment, which in turn increases effort and goal attainment (Koestner et al., 1999).
• Clarifies expectations: Accountability mechanisms (such as performance measurement, feedback, and rewards) can improve performance by clarifying expectations and promoting learning and development (Simons, 1995).
• Provides support and resources: Accountability is positively related to performance outcomes, particularly when it is accompanied by support and resources (Smollan & Sayers, 2009).
• Increases likelihood of success: Individuals who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't explicitly make resolutions (Norcross et al., 2002).
• Boosts productivity: According to a study by the University of Virginia, people who shared their goals with others were more successful at saving money than those who did not share their goals (Milkman et al., 2011).
• Reduces stress: Being accountable and taking responsibility for your actions can reduce stress and improve mental well-being.

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10 science-backed methods to improve accountability and achieve your goals:

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upgrade accountability

• Use an accountability system: Establish a system or tool that holds you accountable, such as a goal-tracking app or a personal accountability coach.
• Set consequences for inaction: Establish consequences for not following through on your goals, such as donating money to a charity if you fail to meet your deadline.
• Make your goals public: Share your goals publicly, whether it be on social media or with friends and family, to create a sense of accountability and pressure to follow through. (*Only in certain situations*)
• Create a support network: Surround yourself with people who support your goals and will hold you accountable for your actions.
• Focus on the process, not just the outcome: Instead of solely focusing on the end goal, focus on the small steps and actions needed to get there.
• Use positive reinforcement: Reward yourself for reaching milestones along the way to achieving your goals to create positive reinforcement and motivation.
• Visualise success: Use visualisation techniques to see yourself achieving your goals and hold yourself accountable to making that vision a reality.
• Track your progress: Monitor and track your progress regularly to stay accountable and make any necessary adjustments to your approach.
• Set realistic expectations: Establish realistic expectations for what you can accomplish and hold yourself accountable to those expectations.
• Learn from mistakes: Use mistakes or setbacks as learning opportunities and hold yourself accountable to making adjustments and moving forward.

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It's always on you

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The sooner you realise this is on you the better, you are responsible for taking action now!

You are responsible for implementing your goals, tracking them, getting back up after a setback or working with an accountability coach.

Concentrate on what you can control, and adapt as much as you need to

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Accountability is the cornerstone of a high-performance culture." - Robin Sharma

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When you choose accountability.....

no matter what!

life presents a much simpler path.

Remember a true leader finds out what went wrong....

not the person to blame.

Stand up and be counted!

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References

American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). (2016). The Power of Accountability. Retrieved from https://www.td.org/insights/the-power-of-accountability

Fishbach, A., & Dhar, R. (2005). Goals as excuses or guides: The liberating effect of perceived goal progress on choice. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 134(2), 207–223.

Gollwitzer, P. M. (1982). Symbolic self-completion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43(4), 721–730.

Koestner, R., Lekes, N., Powers, T. A., & Chicoine, E. (2002). Attaining personal goals: Self-concordance plus implementation intentions equals success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(1), 231-244.

Matthews, C. (2015). The science of accountability: How commitment affects success. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecenizalevine/2015/05/04/the-science-of-accountability-how-commitment-affects-success/?sh=1095b5aa14f5

Milkman, K. L., Rogers, T., & Bazerman, M. H. (2011). Harnessing our inner angels and demons: What we have learned about want/should conflicts and how that knowledge can help us reduce short-sighted decision making. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(6), 569-581.

Moses, A. (2016). Why writing down goals increases odds of success. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/amyjanelloyd/2016/05/08/why-writing-down-goals-increases-odds-of-success/?sh=2272907732d2

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705–717.

Norcross, J. C., Mrykalo, M. S., & Blagys, M. D. (2002). Auld lang Syne: Success predictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Year's resolvers and nonresolvers. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(4), 397-405.

Simons, T. (1995). The power of accountability. Training and Development, 49(4), 38-43.

Smollan, R. K., & Sayers, J. G. (2009). The impact of accountability on team performance in New Zealand. Journal of Business Research, 62(9), 963-971.

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