Simple Ways to Become More Accountable

Having difficulty with your productivity? Feeling overwhelmed? It’s time to look at your accountability and give it a boost.

To be more accountable in your life, it’s essential to understand what being accountable really means. When you are “accountable” it means that you have responsibility for something and you admit it whether it’s a success, a mistake, or an out and out failure. If you want to become more accountable, which will make you a more trustworthy person who seems more authentic, try out these 10 ways to be more accountable.

Set SMART Goals

SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. This means that you should spell out your goals to ensure they meet these guidelines so that you can succeed. These goals will be the foundation of your accountability. Read more about SMART goals in this article – Better Goal Setting for Increased Productivity.

Know Your Responsibilities

You cannot be accountable if you don’t have any control over something. It’s imperative that you get a grip on what you can and cannot control so that when you are taking responsibility and being accountable, it’s realistic.

Make Useful Lists

When you make lists regarding the things you are supposed to do any given day for any given project ensure that the list takes into consideration your SMART goals and the time you have available to act each day. Find a list making tool that works for you. Some prefer the simplicity of paper and pen, but I prefer having an electronic version of my list that I can access at any time.

Reward Achievement

When you meet a goal or make a hard choice about your accountability, give yourself a reward. When you seek accountability, you’re doing more than most people ever do, you deserve something. Make the reward healthy and fit with your goals and objectives.

Stop Multitasking

One thing that gets in the way of success for many people is the idea that “multitasking” is a positive trait to seek to emulate. However, studies show that no one can multitask efficiently. Stop doing it when you are doing something that needs your full attention.

Improve Your Weaknesses

Everyone has weaknesses in their skills or even their personality that can be made better. However, it’s important to note which things you really have control over and what you don’t. For the former, develop an improvement plan. For the latter, develop a mitigation strategy.

Emphasize Your Strengths

More than working on weaknesses when you identify your strengths put those forward in everything you do. You can improve yourself, but why mess with what’s working? Keep doing those things that are working for you. As part of your accountability, examine why they work. You can apply these lessons learned to other goals.

Value Time More Than Money

As much as you wish it were correct time is not free. In fact, time is the most critical resource that you have. Don’t give it away without considerable thought.

Accountability Buddy

The best way to improve anything that you do is to get someone else involved who can give you honest and useful feedback. You may need a life coach, a counselor, or a mentor who can provide you the type of feedback that you really need and can hold you accountable on a regular basis.

Hold Yourself Accountable

You don’t always need outside sources to let you know if you’re succeeding and making progress or not. Depending on what you are doing, you can quickly look at the numbers and track what you are doing to find out if it’s really working. For example, if you’re trying to lose 10 lbs., the only way to know if you’re doing it is to weigh yourself.

Consistency Spurs Productivity

Being accountable requires that you take some form of action to receive credit or responsibility for something you did, were supposed to do, or will do. When you become the type of person that will be accountable for your thoughts, actions, and more, you’ll also become a person who gives thought before taking action to ensure it fits in with your overall goals and objectives.