The importance of Accountability

Are you accountable? 

Let me be more specific. 

Do you hold yourself accountable? 

Do you stick to the plan based on your own will or do you hold yourself accountable by the presence of other people? 

These are some very important questions to answer. The modern day human tends to get lost in a sea of compulsive thought and distraction. Their desires are transitory and pass through their consciousness like water through a pipe. 

" I should really start working out more." 

" I should really start trying to lose weight." 

" I need to start eating better!" 

These are all pretty common statements that some or most of us have stated. The internal drive to better ourselves is present, but buried underneath piles of compulsory thoughts, to do lists and learned habits that haven't been willed to change. Stagnation and procrastination become a normal thing where the idea of change seems as far off as trying to ride a bike from the east to west coast. When we think of the amount of work we have to put into a goal or an intention, it can be overwhelming because we imagine everything all at once and condense it into a visualized package. Since the brain can only visualize a condensed version of the idea and cannot predict the future accurately, anxiety creeps into consciousness. Anxiety is the product of not being present and living in the present moment. Simply thinking and worrying are useless when aiming to start a new goal. 

Let's say you have a new idea to start a daily blog. I for example have learned that writing has allowed me to discover new things just by the act of writing itself. I will start with a title or a general idea and start from there. Keep in mind that is the only structural construct I abide by to start writing an article. The flow of the writing tends to take care of itself when I'm just concentrating on writing around the subject at hand. How do I know when I'm finished? I feel it. I feel when I have said enough and that anything else would be just filler or redundant, I trust myself in finishing. It's quite interesting to see the product at the end and the coherency it presents. I do go back and edit, but overall the ideas are pretty concretely laid out. 

Writing has become an activity to become more present. I really let the fingers glide and let the thoughts flow. I tend to think of myself as conduit for the emergence of information and ideas into my consciousness. It is therapeutic and it is a necessary teacher. It exercises my brain and my general well being. The brain and the act of writing are certainly a muscle that needs to be used. 

What makes me write the way I write? If I had a concrete answer, the act of writing to discover would be unfavorable and unnecessary. 

The topics I write about have made me learn the importance of accountability. Some of the pseudo advice and ponderings on philosophical ideas I write about have allowed me to see innate hypocrisy in my own human action. If I wrote about patience and I become irritable sometime in the day, I can look back to what I wrote. It would be extremely hypocritical of me if I were to write about the importance of awareness and be angry all the time afterwards. The writings have allowed me to manifest my own internal motives and ideas and implement them into my own life. 

So, what am I getting at here? 

I have started to hold myself accountable by my writings and teachings. I may be preaching to my own choir, but I am getting the ideas out of my head in order to understand and implement them. I can use the writings as markers for making sure I'm on track with what I want and what I need. 

It's actually quite awesome and interesting as well that while I am writing this article, I am holding myself accountable by writing about the importance of writing for accountability. 

There are many other ways to hold yourself accountable for habits or goals you are trying to shoot for. 

Call up a friend and tell them what you are trying to do. Ask them for any suggestions or ideas on how to improve the efficiency of your goals. Clearly state your intentions and possibly give some deadles if necessary. Ask your friend if he or she would be willing to help with accountability. This can help motivate you since it won't be only you who is aware of your intentions. It's easy to let things slide on a diet or a goal when we are only living in our own heads. When you start to fall off track, you can think of what your friend would think of the situation. The friend becomes an external accountability factor in the real world. Think of the accountability as a management system for ensuring the completing or perpetuation of your goals.

Think of accountability as the act of giving birth to your ideas in the real world. You had this idea baby and now you have take care of it or give it up for adoption. Accountability allows for the nuturing of ideas to grow and take form. It allows for passion to stay in check and on track. It allows for the betterment of yourself and others. 

DG