Accountability

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

“Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to results”

Bob Proctor (author, philosopher)

Albeit some individuals tend to be more visionary in their aspirations, humanistic psychologists propose that we all have a propensity toward self-actualization, or the realization and fulfilment of one’s own talents and potentials. When individuals are inhibited from pursuing this aspect of themselves, then they are often left feeling unfulfilled, like something is missing or incomplete. Goal setting is innate to self-actualization. We set goals as targets to achieve our potentials and talent, but the pathway toward that is often non-linear. Accountability can assist in continuing to realign individuals with their goals, when otherwise the missteps from the path can be weeks, months, or years procrastinating a realization of our true heart’s desires.

There are several major non-clinical hinderances I have seen to individuals reaching their goals, all areas where accountability can be a game changer.

1.)   Lack of prioritization

We often underestimate the energy required to reach goals and invest in change. If you are participating in coaching, you likely have decided to prioritize your goals; yet many people set out to achieve goals without realizing the cognitive, emotional, and practical time investment required and are off the starting blocks likely to fail. This becomes a negative feedback loop, where there is less motivation and self-efficacy to achieve future goals. The reality is, with a little bit of planning, and strategic choosing of which goals to focus on, the feedback loop can become positive, building not only self-efficacy, but achieving desired results. When making a choice to prioritize a goal, having someone hold you accountable for prioritizing that goal can be invaluable and key in breaking old patterns. Your accountability may highlight your excuses and remind you of the priority you have set.

For example, a frequent goal for those in relationships is to improve relational satisfaction. There are often practical behavior changes that are needed on the pathway to this goal. Having an individual outside a relationship hold you accountable to this as a priority through scheduled check-ins, can not only prevent nagging and disappointment from a partner, but can also help to refocus your energy on a greater purpose and goal, especially when the immediate circumstances become challenging and feelings tell you to drop this as a priority. Someone who is holding you accountable will be able to articulate your justifications. When behavior is externally reflected, is it gives you the power of choice.  From this point you have a decision to make to continue pursuing a new goal or pursue old patterns. Without a decision to make, it is almost inevitable that you will slip into old patterns when stressors come, and your feelings will dictate the prioritization of goals, rather than your higher self.

2.)   Reward value

When seeking to achieve goals, the daily stressors of life often distract us and the continuation of current habits requires much less cognitive resources than the energy required to invest in new goals. Yet, when the reward for not procrastinating becomes greater than the reward for making excuses and continuing status quo, we are more likely to continue on the pathway of our goals. Self-actualization goals often do not result in immediate gratification. Here, accountability can provide an added social extrinsic motivation, where rewards have yet to become internalized.

For instance, one common health goal may be to eat balanced meals throughout the day. For many, this requires effort, and benefits such as lowered blood pressure, increased energy, or weight stabilization can take weeks if not months. This is also increasingly difficult given that body chemistry adapts to what you are eating. So not only can this be mentally challenging to form a new habit, but biochemistry is also shifting. That being said, having an accountability source to celebrate your small successes can be extremely rewarding due to our innate nature as humans to desire positive connections with others. Likewise, if you drift off course for a meal or two, an accountability source can be the encouragement needed that prevents you from slipping into despair, helping to redirect your energy and focus.

3.)   Reliance on old habits

The saying, a creature of habit, certainly has some truth to it, even for those of us who are not so scheduled or predictable in our daily routines. Humans are the most cognitively advanced species and an element of being able to continue to grow and learn is to habituate certain patterns and skills in order to have cognitive space to focus on continual advancement. Take a biochem lesson I had as an example. In order to process the lesson on neurotransmitters (or any new information) making connections to current situations is powerful in learning. In this situation I wake up the next morning and am not focused on how to properly use a coffee maker, I automatically make coffee, as my my cognitive resources shift toward reinforcement of the knowledge I learned in biochem class about the adenosine receptors and caffeine. However, this automation of non-survival behaviors (arguably, such as making coffee) can be a hinderance when the behaviors keep us from goal achievement. Accountability can disrupt automation of behavior.  

Many goals that individuals set, require a micro-goal of finding time. At the end of the day, it is a habit for many to spend significant amounts of time browsing television, youtube, or social media that often disrupts sleep hygiene. This can result in lack of productivity or use of optimal hours the next day for goal execution. Having accountability to remind you about your goal and plan for proper sleep hygiene, before you engage in habitual checking of media, can have profound influence on motivation and energy for goals the next day. 

If you have continually struggled to achieve a specific goal, I want to encourage you re-think your approach. It’s likely that with a little strategy and some accountability you will be able to position yourself for success rather than disappointment.