All of us have some way to measure our success in our businesses and our jobs. It doesn’t matter if you love or hate, live by or rebel against the “system,” we all have some standard by which we evaluate our performance. Whether it’s goals, numbers, measuring points, personal rules, lines that we will not cross, our integrity; we all live our lives according to a personal “Code of Honor,” if you will. It’s no surprise that in many people I’ve observed, the ones who manage their businesses and finances the most efficiently and successfully are the ones who manage THEMSELVES the best – those who live with a high level of accountability and according to the tenet – “Do What You Say You Will Do”.
The problem with most people isn’t that they lack a “Code of Honor,” it’s just that they aren’t accountable to to it, or their level of accountability is fairly low. Or they don’t stick to it often enough. And there’s a lot of reasons why that is. It forces you to see things as
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they really are – to face the ugly truth. Maybe it’s your weight. Maybe it’s your finances. Maybe it’s your business. Maybe it’s your health. Whether it’s a weighing scale, a bank statement, or the words from a respected source, real feedback can be painful.
Yet, without hard facts and a high level of accountability to goals, standards, and numbers, it’s virtually impossible to improve upon anything. However, there are those people who avoid accountability and navigate their businesses and lives based on “how it feels.” I don’t know about you, but if I did that, my path would look like a roller coaster. Gut feelings have their place, certainly, but they’re momentary and subjective. Numbers don’t lie. So, how do you manage yourself better? Set up a personal code, a set of rules that you’re willing to write down on paper and share with other significant people in your life – people to whom you are accountable and have call you out on breaches of that code. The rules can be very simple. Many them you might already have, but just don’t take seriously enough sometimes. One could be, “Celebrate all wins.” Another, “Keep statistics on my performance.” Or maybe, “Never abandon yourself, or friends, when in need.”
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Next, stick to these rules, whatever they are. You have to be willing to call yourself out on it when you break a rule – like a referee in a game, a foul is a foul. Also, we all have blind spots we miss intentionally or unintentionally. You need to have others call you out on it if you’re really going to be accountable. Finally, have the willingness to admit to your mistakes. This is about taking responsibility for your actions, good and bad. Be ready to admit to your mistakes and commit to making it right.
Being accountable won’t be easy, but it’s a necessary step to raising the standards on yourself and achieving the success you desire.
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