Accountability: 10 steps to success
There are many valuable traits we need to cultivate to be successful leaders, but first and foremost is: Personal accountability.
Feeling victimized by shortcomings and circumstances, many people believe they cannot possibly change their lot in life or that they must rely on someone else to do it for them. They spend their entire lives waiting for a “break” instead of creating their own opportunities.
While running several Facebook ads, I received a few of angry comments from people out there who insist that the only way to become wealthy is to inherit money. That is dangerous and false thinking that absolutely must be smashed. It is also a bold-faced lie. The fact is that 85% of today’s millionaires are “first generation” millionaires and almost 90% of inherited family wealth is gone by the 3rd generation. The VAST majority of wealthy people did NOT inherit their wealth.
Don’t let your circumstances define who you are and what you do. You are not a “victim”. Take charge of shaping your own circumstances, and with the right attitude, good things will start to happen for you. In fact, chapter 14 of our first book “Think like the rich and beat the system that’s rigged to create a peasant class” examines the work of Dr. Richard Wiseman who has documented proof that people with a positive attitude are “lucky” in that they see and take advantage of opportunities that others either don’t see or see as obstacles.
Let’s examine 10 steps to improve our personal accountability:
1) Redefine accountability.
Does the mere mention of the word accountability make you shudder? To many, the definition of “accountability” means having to report to others, to explain oneself or justify one’s actions, but the real definition of accountability is to measure oneself against a goal.
Even while reporting may be a component of being accountable, it should not be seen as a negative. The fact is, we all have to report to someone, even if it is to Uncle Sam come tax return time. If we are entrepreneurs, reporting may be required to our investors, shareholders, etc. But the most important reporting we do should be the reports we give to ourselves, our score-card on how we are doing against the goals we have set for ourselves. One form of this is having a written household budget. A Gallop poll shows that less than 30% of households have a written budget. Why? Because writing your budget down means you have to report to yourself. You hold yourself accountable (or maybe your spouse does).
The truth is, being held accountable is the very first step in becoming a success. If you are serious about becoming a Prince instead of a Pauper, start by measuring your progress and holding yourself accountable.