Desperately Seeking Accountability
Yesterday's podcast episode hit unexpectedly hard. Within just a few hours after its release, I received at least a half-dozen messages. It was about how our human predisposition to make excuses robs us of the life we deserve. There's always an excuse if we want there to be one. Ultimately, though, the podcast episode meandered to the idea of accountability. This is where the episode hit so many people.
In a world where we don't want accountability, we really, really want accountability. We're desperately seeking accountability. To prove this point, I mentioned how hard it is for single people to successfully navigate their finances. In theory, this is backward. Single people have a simpler financial structure and don't have to deal with a partner's incongruent goals/desires. A single person is the boss, and they get to execute the plan solely in accordance with their wishes. Yet, single people struggle like no other.
Why? Accountability, accountability, and accountability. Or perhaps, more accurately, the lack of accountability. Yes, it's true that two married people will have financial disagreements, differing wants, and tension at times. All true! However, they also wake up each morning staring at their accountability. Every day, when I go out into the world to serve people and financially provide for my family, I'm accountable for doing what I say I'm going to do. Sarah is counting on me....and vice versa. We must follow through on our budgeting, saving, spending, giving, investing, paying the bills, keeping insurance policies in place, and several other financial-oriented tasks. That mutual accountability isn't the sole reason it all gets done, but boy, it's a big driver.
This is where my single friends can struggle. Ultimately, nobody is holding them accountable to budget, spend, save, give, etc. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. Nobody else will even know. There's something defeating about that. It lacks consequence. It lacks reward. It lacks celebration.
Whether you're single or married, you still face these same dynamics somewhere in your life. I have two: reading and lifting. I can't read a book or get my butt into the gym, but I've released two podcast episodes per week for three years and one blog post per day for 550 consecutive days. Why? Accountability! My podcast listeners and blog readers are there to hold me accountable. If my blog doesn't send at around 6AM CST, I immediately get texts from people checking to see if I'm ok. Many podcast listeners, similarly, have a set rhythm on how/when/where they listen to our podcast episodes each week, knowing new episodes will be released on Mondays and Wednesdays. That accountability is the difference between winning or losing. Between following a calling or falling apart. Between achieving a goal or whiffing.
If something is important, find accountability. If there's no natural accountability, manufacture it. Create structure that provides you with whatever ingredients you need to follow through. You don't have to, but you deserve to. We are desperately seeking accountability.