In recent years, I've come to understand the transformative power of being accountable to both myself and others.
This morning's sentence in my devotional resonated deeply with me: "If we don't choose to be accountable, eventually our circumstances will force us to be accountable."
When I think of all of the circumstances in my life that were crashing in on me, I know that the only true answer to them was to become accountable. But my circumstances forced me to become accountable. You may be in that same place today, but if you're not, I caution you, don't wait until you HAVE to become accountable. Do it now, and don't wait.
Over the years, I carried a lot of extra weight around, which led to my blood levels being totally out of whack, and my energy levels were up and down, quickly exhausted. I couldn't even walk up a set of stairs without getting out of breath. Now that I am at a healthy weight, I am paying the price for my previous decisions. Saggy skin and long-term damage to my health (I am sure I shortened my life span because of those years of obesity). I became accountable by tracking every morsel of food and submitting it to my accountability group, along with abiding by eating healthy choices. This, along with exercise and prayer each morning, has changed my life.
In addition, for years and years in running my company, I allowed everyone else to control my schedule, rather than ME, determining the priorities of the day and knocking them out first. I would get up, run out of the house, work according to everyone else's timeline, and then, in the late evening hours, I would accomplish my tasks. I now realize how backward and unproductive it was. Unfortunately, I didn't realize it until after I sold the company and drove many of my co-workers and managers to live/work the same way. We needed more focus time and accountability to our top three things that need to be accomplished. Again, I am positive that I cut years of my life with that behavior, all of which could have been avoided if I had been accountable and intentional. I now set my Big 3 each night before bed, which keeps me focused on what is important to me and drives me to be the future self I desire. Another daily action of accountability that has changed my life.
I thank God for these lessons and can't live in regret. The only thing I can do now is live in a world of accountability and intentionality. I make sure that the choices I make each day are the ones I can answer with "yes!" I made the right choices, not worrying about if I could "get by with it."
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