Self Accountability

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'The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.'

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Most people say they want to be more accountable. But very few actually create it.

There’s a simple way to do this. I’ve used it a number of times in my life, and I’ve seen it work again and again with the people I work with.

Accountability isn’t something you wait for, it’s something you create. And one of the most effective ways to do that is to commit upfront.

Because when you really commit, you stop negotiating with yourself. You become the person who follows through, and your behaviours start to reflect that.

So if you want to achieve a goal – whether that’s losing weight, reaching a professional milestone, or building stronger relationships – you need to anchor it with an action that makes it real.

The simplest way to do that is to invest in it upfront. Create a real commitment. Put some skin in the game.

A colleague of mine wanted to lose weight, so she committed to a six-month personal training programme at the best gym in Singapore, where she was living at the time. She didn’t just say she wanted to change, she made it non-negotiable. That one decision held her accountable, and she lost 25kg in six months.

In 2018, I decided I needed to take a break from my career and do some serious travelling. A friend said to me, “Just book your ticket — then you’ll go.” So I did. And as soon as I’d booked it, everything else followed. I earned more, saved more, and ten months later, I headed off around the world.

Once you’ve committed in that way, things tend to move. Not because of the money itself, but because of what it forces.

We’re wired to protect what we invest. And once something has a cost attached to it, you’re far less likely to walk away. The only way to make that investment feel worthwhile is to follow it through.

When I spent £1,800 on flights, the money wasn’t gone, it was invested in a reality I wanted. The only way it would have been wasted is if I never got on the plane.

It’s also why our coaching isn’t structured as pay-as-you-go sessions. People commit to working with us for three, six, or nine months. Because once someone decides, “I’m doing this”, whether that’s improving their work-life balance, feeling more present, or getting healthier, and they back it with a real commitment, the hardest part is done.

So if there’s something in your life you want to change, but you’re not quite following through, don’t just think about it.

Make it real.

Find a way to commit upfront – whether that’s a fitness programme, training, flights, or coaching – and give yourself a reason not to back out.