QT: Ultimately, Accountability Comes from Within

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Do. The. Thing.

That’s generally the key to making progress on any front.

But what about when you don’t much want to do the thing?

That’s when it’s vitally important to do what needs to be done.

Staying Accountable Isn’t Easy

I don’t know about you, but holding myself accountable can be more difficult than I’d like to admit.

I’ll do just about everything I can to avoid letting other people down.

But when the thing I don’t want to do really only impacts me?

Well, it’s easy to shrug and say oh well.

Sure, I might be a little bummed.

But I’ve disappointed myself before, I’ll disappoint myself again.

Cest la vie, am I right?

Accountability Must Come from Within

At the end of the day, accountability is solo endeavor.

 

You either do the thing or you don’t.

You either make yourself proud, or you let yourself down.

The situation is more or less black and what.

That said, there are several actions you can take to help yourself do the thing more often than not.

Get External Help

One comment I get semi-regularly is something along the lines of “I didn’t want to run today, but I really didn’t want to tell you that I didn’t want to run today, so I got it done.”

No doubt working with a running coach or a personal trainer or some other person that you pay can provide a bit of extra motivation on the days when you really need it.

It still comes down to whether or not you do the thing, but that little bit of outside pressure/motivation can make a major difference.

But not all external nudges cost money.

A running partner or committing to a group run can make sure you get your miles in.

And if you get yourself a high energy dog that will drive you crazy if she doesn’t get her run in every morning?

Yeah, that will do the trick, too.

 

Clearly Define What Counts

Sometimes a little bit of extra effort up front can pay massive dividends long-term.

So far in 2025, I haven’t missed a strength workout.

To be clear, it’s not because I haven’t wanted to skip a workout or two at this point.

But what is really working for me is the system I put in place at the start of the year.

No more doing a set of body weight squats and giving myself credit for a job done like I did more than a few times last year.

I have workouts pre-written for each of my strength training days.

Once I pick a workout for the day, it either gets done or it doesn’t.

If I do 75% of the workout? Well, then the workout didn’t get done.

Once I start the workout? I finish the damn thing so I can get credit.

Commit to Something Big

Sometimes the best thing you can do is commit to something that is a little scary.

Maybe you sign up for a big race that you know you need to train for in order to be successful.

Or run a race as a charity runner, using your fundraising goal as a way to keep on track.

Or make a bet that you don’t want to pay off that requires a certain amount of training consistency to win.

The point is, sometimes the fear of failure is enough to get you in gear.

You are Still Human

One thing to keep in mind if you’re struggling to stay accountable is that you are, in fact, a human.

As such, you’re not going to be perfect.

So when you inevitably drop the ball, please don’t beat yourself up.

You’re not a failure, you’re a human.

Get back on track for the next run or workout, no harm no foul.

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The only person you're truly accountable to is yourself. #runchat Share on X

What Helps You Stay on Track When You Don’t Want To?

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