Personal Accountability: How to Improve Personal Accountability

Personal accountability means accepting responsibility for your words, actions, and behaviors, as well as the ensuing consequences. While it may be tempting to blame external factors (like the behavior of others, your environment, or your past experiences) for the way you react to certain situations, sidestepping personal ownership can do more harm than good to your personal and professional life. Conversely, taking personal ownership can improve your mental health and help you develop deep, meaningful relationships.

Though it may be uncomfortable to do in certain situations, accepting personal accountability reinforces your agency over various life circumstances and can lead to a sense of empowerment. In turn, taking ownership of your actions may improve your self-respect and make you feel like you can rely on yourself.

Taking responsibility for the positive or negative effects of your own actions can also help you build healthy relationships based on trust and authenticity. A lack of accountability is a serious hurdle to building trust in your personal and professional life. Additionally, a work environment that values personal accountability boosts employee engagement and goal-setting among team members.

Personal accountability plays a significant role in the fulfillment you get from your personal and professional life. For help improving self-accountability, refer to these tips:

• Admit your mistakes. Try your best to objectively reflect on situations where the outcome wasn’t what you wanted, and own up to your part. If your words or actions hurt someone else, apologize to them without placing the blame on external factors.
• Be self-aware. Whenever you’re tempted to make excuses for your behavior, step back and evaluate your emotions from a rational yet compassionate place. Whether at work or in your personal life, be willing to step up and take responsibility, even if you are afraid of what will happen if things go wrong.
• Have an accountability partner. Ask a friend to hold you accountable for certain goals; this can be especially helpful if you share a common goal. For example, if you’re both training to run a race, set up check-ins to see how the other is doing.
• Manage your time well. Time management skills are key to personal responsibility. Managing your time properly allows you to dedicate enough effort to essential things while curbing procrastination, which can impact others in the workplace. Learn how to manage your time better.
• Set goals. Setting goals (even small ones) and achieving them allows you to demonstrate that you can hold yourself accountable. When you complete tasks and achieve accomplishments, take time to recognize these milestones and celebrate with self-care activities.

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