For a long time, when I thought of accountability, my feathers would get a little ruffled and I’d get all defensive.
I interpreted accountability as having to answer to someone else, to always have to explain myself and my actions, to be tied to someone and their expectations of me, how I should perform, what standards I should live up to. I’ve always been one of those people who lives on her own terms, and accountability felt like pressure to conform in a lot of ways, which was juuuuuuust about the very last thing I was ever going to be caught doing, obviously.
Like, I got this. I’m good, thanks.
Turns out, though, I had missed some of the nuance of accountability. It wasn’t all negative. Turns out, while it can definitely sometimes go awry and cause more harm than good, there are other, really valuable ways to reframe and incorporate accountability.
Most obviously, I was missing the point that even in defining and living my life on my terms, I was always accountable to myself, and that was a big piece of where my success and confidence started, and ended. Accountability did not necessarily have to involve explaining myself to someone else, but it did involve taking responsibility for my actions and my decisions. Doing what I said I was going to do, keeping my word to myself and others.
Over time, I realized that a huge part of this ability to trust myself and my decisions – and to follow through with the action behind them – was my work toward clarity in who I was, what matters most to me, and my personal values. I mean, if you’ve ever done any workshop or coaching or even a worksheet with me, you know that’s the foundation for everything.
And so knowing that stuff firmly as a foundation has allowed me to shift my relationship to accountability, and to be accountable to things that feel natural, purposeful. That’s valuable stuff, in a world where people often lack a sense of internal accountability. Being accountable to the purpose and life you design for yourself is refreshing, and it’s empowering. And again – it’s a huge key to success in anything we dream of.
Maybe all this seems a little weird coming from a fitness professional and business owner, a person who’s on the hook for responsibilities to herself and others on the regular.
But here’s the thing – we can be accountable without tying it to obligation.
What if accountability was more of a commitment to ourselves? A charge to care for what we need, as much as possible?
Less obedience, more empowerment.
In nearly a decade of working with women to accomplish their goals and work toward their dreams, it’s become infinitely clear that the driver for accountability has to come from within. That part always comes first. It’s the who you are, what matters, and values foundation I was talking about put into practice.
So, as I was recently getting a bunch of feedback and requests for fitness accountability, and as I was thinking about whether or not that was appropriate right now, I decided that it is…sort of…but it’s not the whole picture.
Fitness and physical well-being can absolutely be part of our foundation; health can absolutely be personal value. (It’s one of my top three.) But it’s really only one piece of the puzzle. I think care describes that overall puzzle a bit better.
And that’s why I created a Fitness & Care Accountability Calendar for you.
It’s a little bit different than what you may have seen before as far as trackers go. (But, I mean, you probably expect that from me by now, right? ;)) Honestly, you might not even decide to track fitness with it – see my recent post for more on that – but you could still absolutely still utilize this as a tool.
It’s not about checking boxes, it’s about feeling how you want to feel and doing it on purpose.
Yes, it will help you keep loose track of the things you want to keep track of and be accountable for. But not to your detriment. It’ll force you to keep what’s important to you front and center, every day of the month, every month of the year.
This is the tracker that’ll provide your inspiration and motivation. And never through obligation. This is the accountability that leads to celebration. You can download it right here.
One more thing – no matter how strong our foundation is, there are times when it feels nearly impossible to hold yourself accountable to anything, even if or when it’s important to you. We all have moments when our internal drive breaks down a little bit. And it’s in those times when there can be some pretty big positives to being accountable to others, when it can change everything.
It doesn’t have to ruffle feathers, and it doesn’t have to be about them. There can be value in combining your internal accountability with accountability to others. But you have to find the right sources and partners. When you do, there’s a ton of power in it, because it’s not just about reporting on status and completing tasks to an arbitrary standard. It’s about understanding and communicating what matters, and trusting and encouraging each other to make that happen in real ways. There’s beauty in that experience beyond measure.
So, as you explore your foundation, as you decide what you want to hold yourself accountable to, think about who you might be able to share that with too. You can use the community you surround yourself with as a catalyst to amplify your own sense of accountability, to exceed any external expectations, but more importantly – your own. When you find your people, your group, your circle of leaders who will lift you up, actively listen to you, and never let you off the hook in the expectations you set for yourself – you’ll find your success levels – and theirs – shooting through the roof.
Know that I’ll always be a part of your community, if you want me to be. And know you’re absolutely a part of mine. You’re welcome to join The Un Club Facebook group or Text Community to share the care you’re focused on this month, or any struggles you might be going through in the action to make it happen.
No matter what, internal or external accountability or none – promise me, and yourself, you’ll stand firm in your foundation and take care of you this week.
If you need a little more personal accountability, let’s talk about it. Schedule a call below. If there’s someone in your community who could benefit from shared accountability, make sure to share this post with the buttons below.