Invitation to be Accountable for Your Success

Responsible or Accountable?

And the significance of the difference between them in our pursuit of success.  Responsible and Accountable, each are part of the other.

I read a post on FaceBook attributed to Zig Ziglar; it said that no matter what we think or believe, we are each responsible for the choices that landed us where we are now.  I agree; but I would have chosen the word “accountable” rather than “responsible.”  When you’re responsible, you’re in charge of making something happen, for achieving results.  When you’re accountable, not only are you in charge, but you’re answerable for the results and consequences.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are the master of our destiny. Pause a moment to reflect on where you are right now; consider how you got here: your job and career; your standard of living. Be specific; create a full-color, focused snapshot that includes sensory details as well; the sounds in your life, and the smells.

How did you get here, where you are, today? Think back to pivotal moments; moments after which your life “changed” and headed in a new direction; or away from its current direction.  Be truthful as you consider these moments; what was your role in them?  In each of these moments, were you the driver, the passenger, or were you not even in the car?  Avoiding a decision, or procrastinating, is choice that also affects the direction of your life.

What was your responsibility in shaping the direction your life has taken so far? Did you make decisions and choices or did you avoid them?  If you made decisions, were the choices you’ve made an intentional, conscious, and determined effort to move yourself forward, toward your long-term vision of success? Were you accountable for your decisions and choices?

Last week, we developed our vision of success with specific and tangible details. This is an important first step in a vision quest; creating a detailed description of what success will look like when you've achieved it.  Consider how, if at all, your current situation would be different if you had made decisions and choices aimed at moving you closer to your vision of success. And if you’d been not only responsible for making these choices, but accountable, where would you be today?

Consider this an invitation to be accountable – moving forward approach decisions and choices from an accountable perspective.  Become accountable to yourself and your vision of success.  Share your thoughts, post your comments; and let’s move forward together.

With the right mindset we are all meant to succeed.