The last post was on speaking up for yourself.  In life, we face several situations that demand us to speak up for ourselves. But in some other scenarios, we need to hold ourselves accountable for our actions. The key is in not confusing between these terms and proceeding with our lives wisely. Now let’s discuss about accountability. According to Oxford Dictionaries, accountable means “to be responsible for your decisions or actions and expected to explain them when you are asked”. The importance of accountability can be felt in both workplace and personal life. We generally talk about taking accountability of our work in the organization. This article sheds light on both accountability at workplace and home.

Why accountability is important?

We all want to be perfect in whatever we do. But sometimes we mess up which is understandable. In the workplace, we learn a lot and sometimes through trials and errors learn many things. It is the obsession towards perfection and the thought that we are always right that makes us stop taking ownership of our mistakes. If you constantly take efforts to take control of your life and hold yourself accountable for the results whether good or bad, you are proceeding in the right direction. After all, it is not fair if we hold ourselves accountable for our works only when the outcome is good and don’t take ownership of actions when things go wrong. This is where the litmus test lies.

Accountability also involves doing those things that you committed. Hence, we have to be careful in not overcommiting. We should set realistic goals and ensure that we follow them properly. Many a times, in our enthusiasm to prove our mettle in workplace or life, we commit a lot which we cannot actually do. Hence, ensure that you do only what is within your limit and what is workable to you.

The habit of giving excuses

The major trait that we have with regard to accountability is that we give excuses for our mishaps. When one starts giving excuses, it can be never-ending; you will become so attached to giving excuses that you won’t hold yourself accountable for your actions. After all, nobody likes doing mistakes. In our workplace, we want to deliver the best results. But here we should remember that we don’t learn anything if we think that we are right all the time. If we have any doubt, we can seek help from others, rather than doing it wrong and not accepting our mistake.

Fear of being reprimanded

We sometimes don’t take ownership of our actions that have bad results due to our fear of being disapproved. But remember that we are doing the same for our own progress. Our life’s journey should be our major concern.

How can I hold myself accountable when I did my best?

Remember that you are the deciding authority of your life and whatever happens is an outcome of your choices. However, in some situations, the decisions of our life were taken with the limited knowledge we have. You may question how can I take accountability of my actions when life was not fair with me even after me doing the best? This is the ultimate paradox of life. But here also you can perceive accountability in the positive sense. Going forward, you ensure that you be careful in your actions because in life once bit you are twice shy. People change, and as said earlier giving excuses will only distance you from progress.

With regard to accountability, it’s easier said than done. However, when you do it sincerely without blaming external factors and only bothering about your success, it will definitely be beneficial. And yes..you definitely needn’t hold yourself accountable for the mistakes not done by you…