If you’ve been having trouble with consistency, it might be time to understand the difference between accountability & responsibility.
What is the difference between accountability and personal responsibility? Would you be able to explain it to someone if they asked? Accountability means taking ownership of the results that have been produced. Good or bad.
If you’ve been struggling with consistency and “staying on track”, it can be so helpful to audit your accountability.
But first, you need to understand why accountability trumps responsibility when it comes to goals.
This post is all about the difference between accountability and responsibility.
The Difference Between Accountability & Responsibility
Self-accountability means taking responsibility for your actions and your life and learning from your mistakes.
So basically, there isn’t accountability without responsibility however, accountability means taking FULL responsibility for yourself (regardless of the results).
Have I lost you yet?
This is the way I like to see it –
When you are responsible for something, it’ll happen and be associated with you. When you’re accountable for something, you’re going to make it happen because of you.
Accountability means learning from yourself and moving forward.
{RELATED POST: Accountability Definition | 13 Simple Ways To Be Accountable}
Accountability vs responsibility vs ownership
So how do they all fit together? Aren’t the meanings similar enough that you could interchange them?
Not exactly… when put up to the challenge this is how Forbes defined the difference:
Responsibility can be seen when results are delivered. Ownership in action is being proactive. Accountability takes ownership and responsibility from the inside to the outside — from me to we. From individual to team.
Forbes
You might be wondering: if it takes all these things to achieve your dreams, why is accountability the main buzzword then?
Honestly, there is no magic sauce to making your goal a reality.
It just boils down to two things: getting started and keeping going.
Most people are so obsessed with creating the “perfect” plan that they never get started. They get so in their heads that they can’t even take the first step.
And for those that do manage to start, they now face the daily change of consistency. They ask themselves: how do I keep going when the motivation has worn off?
{RELATED POST: Why Is Accountability Important To Finding Success Every Time}
That’s where we need to be accountable. We need to make a promise to ourselves to keep going and to stick with it even though it’s not immediate gratification.
Accountability can be super easy when that prize is coming quickly – everyone loves the immediate satisfaction.
But that’s not when it counts most, accountability makes the most difference when it’s shown consistently over time.
Here are a couple of great blog posts I’ve written that will help you master accountability –
1. When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.
{READ THE FULL BLOG POST HERE}
Do you understand the importance of remembering your Why in times of doubt?
There was a reason why you began your journey – whether it was extremely specific or vague, there was something you wanted that you didn’t have before.
You created the idea of a life for yourself after achieving this goal and you decided that it was worth chasing.
That idea became your Why and whether your Why shifts over time or not, that’s what you need to remember when you’re losing steam.
Use your Why as fuel for your accountability and feed into consistency.
2. The 7 Shocking Life Changes When You Stay Committed
{READ THE FULL BLOG POST HERE}
Let’s think about the future for a moment. Recognize what it will be like after you’ve been consistent for a while and you’re making real progress.
Firstly, let’s talk about how the people in your life might be affected.
They will get uncomfortable with your commitment and also might discredit you or think lightly of your discipline.
Don’t lose hope, people usually just have a hard time acknowledging they could achieve their goals too… if they put in hard work.
When you commit to yourself and show that discipline and dedication, you’re shining a flashlight on their baloney excuses. And no one likes that.
Secondly, the way YOU change is so much more important than how THEY are affected.
You’ll learn to cheer for yourself and that when it gets lonely, you’re not alone. You will know it’s okay to make mistakes and just keep going, and understand the goal keeps changing. And you’ll want others to be successful too.
One of the biggest, most beautiful changes (in my opinion), is when you start thinking there’s enough success for everyone and you understand that others don’t have to fail for you to succeed.
3. Why You Need To Celebrate Being A Work In Progress
The ultimate reminder on your journey is that no one is the complete package.
No one has it all figured out and we’re all just doing our best. Even the greatest athletes, entrepreneurs, and entertainers, you name it, are all taking it step by step.
One of the wonderful things about everyone constantly improving and changing is that there is a promise of uncertainty.
In the words of Miley Cyrus “change is a thing you can count on”. Which I find to be the most wonderful guarantee – that no matter your circumstance or where you are in life, things will change.
And you can embrace that change to keep getting better and better! Never underestimate your growth potential.
This post was all about knowing the difference between accountability and responsibility.
© Woman of Culture 2022
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