Accountability is the Foundation of Success

This morning, I saw a quote by Catherine Pulsifer that struck me: "At the end of the day we are accountable to ourselves. Our success is a result of what we do. Stop moving the goalpost. Stop allowing excuses. Hold yourself and the others around you accountable and watch dreams come true."

In the hustle of our daily lives, with all the duties and responsibilities, it's all too easy to lose sight of this. We find ourselves in a world where it's tempting to shift blame, adjust targets to suit our lower the burden, or permit excuses to kill our dreams. However, our ability to achieve our dreams lies not in the flexibility of our goals but in our level of commitment to them.

Accountability is the foundation of the integrity of our ambitions. Our accountability to our principles extends beyond our personal lives, touching everyone we interact with – our teammates, our families, and the broader community we serve. Each interaction, each decision, each action we take testifies to the integrity of our goals and their level of importance.

I would bet that acts of responsibility or a moment of uncomfortable commitment when the going gets tough paved the way for most of the significant achievements throughout history. Those are the moments that tell the test of who we really are.

As I thought more about this, I asked myself, why would I set goals that aren’t worth being uncomfortable or accountable to pursuing. Every one of us should be asking ourselves the same question. I become frustrated when someone falls short of the expectations I’ve set for them, but I don’t seem to get as upset when I fall short of holding myself accountable to achieve those same standards.

That leads me to this week’s twofold challenge…

First, identify an area in your personal or professional life where you've allowed the goalposts to shift. It might be a project at work where deadlines have become moving targets, or perhaps a personal goal that's always on tomorrow's to-do list. Second, commit to a concrete action that reinstates accountability in this area. Set a non-negotiable deadline, eliminate an excuse that's been holding you back, or simply hold a conversation to realign expectations with a teammate or family member, make that commitment.

Let's take an opportunity to embrace accountability not as a burden, but as the catalyst to reach our goals. By holding ourselves and those around us to the highest standards, we don't just chase our dreams; we build the path to make them a reality. At the end of the day, our success is a reflection of what we do, the choices we make, and the accountability we uphold. Let's make it count.

I'm thankful you took the went to work today, you took the time to read this, and for being a part of what makes this world amazing!