Week 5 – Accountability – The Silent Engine of Goal Achievement

Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart interviewed the new president of Syria: Ahmed Al-Sharaa.

A bombshell episode.

Al-Sharaa made a daring promise – a new constitution and national congress. A view to potential democracy.

The hosts agreed that he should be accountable for these promises if Syria was to progress from this date.

So, accountability sits at the heart of our ability to make progress.

Why?

Because it allows us to see if our pathways are working, if we are following them, or if we need to change them.

‘Accountability turns promises into progress’.

Without accountability, you can’t progress further. You will simply be on the same path as before.

Let’s break it down, what does accountability look like?

It’s about holding yourself to your promises and asking yourself: are you doing what you set out to do?

This is then split into external and internal accountability.

Internal is about our ability to stick to our promises, and external is about others doing that job for us.

This is so important for both people and organisations.

In my job, I always give a deadline to my supervisor so we can both hold myself accountable for a task I am given.

Organisations may produce annual reports looking back at their goals for the year. We also look back at our goals e.g. New Year’s Resolutions.

Every single pathway to progress has a form of accountability.

But why do some people struggle with this?

It’s because they think it is punishment.

For some, accountability is about punishing yourself for not sticking to your pathways.

It is about self-depreciation because you can’t stick to your goals.

But this isn’t effective accountability, and it harms your well-being. I have three pillars that change this:

  1. Clear metrics and milestones
  2. Regular check-ins and progress reviews
  3. Consequences (positive and negative)

Let me explain this further:

  1. When you set your pathways, you also set your way of measuring success. For example, in the gym, I want to be able to squat for 12 reps at 90 kg by the end of March.
  2. Once you set your pathway, schedule check-ins to exercise these metrics and keep track.
  3. Have some rewards and consequences for your accountability. If you keep going to the gym, reward yourself by going to your favourite restaurant. But if you don’t then the next session should be longer.

The key thing is that it needs to work for you. You need to buy into your accountability strategy.

So how do we action this? After constructing your pillars, choose the right person to help you.

My girlfriend, coach, and brother are key people who hold me accountable for my goals.

Lastly, ensure you log your reflections. Seeing your positive journey can boost your esteem when you don’t know you need it.

So, this week’s challenge:

  1. Find your favourite goal that you’ve set.
  2. Consult your three pillars
  3. Make one change to that goal so you hold yourself more accountable.

Have a great week 🙂

Dylan