EP 7- How to Become More Accountable in your every day life- Accountability Series Part 1 for Success Driven Women- Is being Personally Responsible for my own behaviors actually biblically based?

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EP 7- How to Become More Accountable in your every day life- Accountability Series Part 1 for Success Driven Women- Is being Personally Responsible for my own behaviors actually biblically based?

Hey, what's up. It's Angie. And I'm back to talk with you about another episode. Today's episode is going to be on accountability and it's probably not exactly what you think. So grab your cup of coffee or ice water or whatever it is you got going on, and let's dive in and see what it's all about.

Hey, what's up everybody. It's your girl, Angie and I am back today to talk about a series that I am going to be dropping. That's called the accountability series. Now, girlfriend, I want to remind you that in my intro and in episode one, where I gave you my introduction, we talked about how we're going to have to talk about some hard things. Well, it may feel like some of these topics are going to be one of those or a few of those hard things, but in order to become who that is or supposed to be, we got to deal with the hard thing sometimes. And the best way to become who it is you're intended to be is to work on more awareness and more things on yourself so that you can be better for the people around you. So part of that mindset that we're going to talk about is related to accountability. So, first I want to start off this series. One of, uh, accountability. I want to talk about the definition of accountability and this comes from dictionary and it says it's taking or being assigned responsibility for something you have done or something you are supposed to do. Okay. So it's about taking that responsibility

So when you think about someone who is accountable, you might think about someone who takes responsibility, who doesn't make excuses for themselves. They show up and they show up on time. They collaborate with others. They expect the same work ethic from others. They expect results from others. So when I first think about accountability, when I asked this actually in a training one time with a group of leaders, a lot of the answers were about others. So, you know, w when I asked, what does accountability mean to you? They said things like, well, it's when you hold people accountable to do what it is you've asked them to do, or when we meet the outcomes that we have set out to meet, or when we hold somebody accountable to whether or not they are following the attendance time and attendance policy. Okay. And then one very Intune, smart, young lady said being accountable is being true to what it is I've said I'm going to do. I'm accountable to my words and my actions. I show up, when I say, I'm going to show up, I follow up, When I say I'm going to follow up. So she saw the word accountability first in herself, versus holding other people accountable.

So that's the first thing we're going to talk about is that when you think of accountability, first, you've got to start with you being accountable for who it is that you say you are, who it is, what it is you say you're going to do. So we look inward first, and then we think about, external. So always start with yourself.

So I'm going to talk about something called the accountability ladder. And I'm not sure where this came from; I've learned about this in all of my places of work in the past 20 years, but maybe Senn Delaney Consulting group made this up? I've seen an article in Forbes magazine about it, well, it's everywhere, but you can find this topic and strategy all over the internet, so I'm not sure who actually first claims this idea- but just wanted to throw out a few people who may have, and give them credit.

So think about a ladder or think about a mountain and that you're climbing on one side and you start at the bottom and go to the top, or think about an elevator where you start at the bottom and you go to the top.

Okay. So we're going to start at the bottom. So if we're on this ladder and the bottom rung of the ladder is that you are in denial, Or that you do not have an awareness. Then that is the bottom of the ladder or the bottom of the mountain or the bottom of the elevator. The next level is going to be where you are blaming other people. The next is that when you are making excuses for what has happened or the outcomes, or why something didn't go as planned, the next level, which is more towards the middle level, we'll think about is the wait and hope level. It's where you are not really blaming or making excuses anymore, but you're not really doing anything about it to make it better. The next level up from weighting hope is going to be that you are in your acknowledging.

You are acknowledging the reality of what the outcome was or acknowledging the reality of who you're looking at in the mirror. And you're you have stepped into, okay. I acknowledge where I am with this right now. I acknowledge my outcome. I acknowledge, um, the expectation. So you're acknowledging what's happening then above. That is where you own it. Okay? Uh, you actually own, not only are you acknowledging the reality, but you're owning the outcomes from what it is you have done, or Zed, or the project that you taken on, you're owning the outcomes. Then you're at the next step. You are finding solutions. So you've owned it. And now you are going to do something about it, to find a solution, to get to a place that's better than you are tonight, today. And then the top round, the top of the mountain, the top level in the elevator, or the top level of that ladder is when you get on with it, you've done something about it. You've found solutions. And now you're just getting out on with it.

So when you think about these, these rungs of this ladder, or these levels on the elevator, you think about the bottom half where you were unaware in denial, then you were blaming others and excuses. You are not able to make any changes there when you were unaware. You don't even know there's a problem to begin with. Okay? When you're in denial, you're denying that there's a problem and denying your responsibility in it. And then when you're making excuses and blaming others, that puts the onus or the responsibility on other people, and it doesn't allow for you to be part of any solution or make any changes. Okay? So that those bottom realms, the unawareness or denial, the blaming others, and the excuses are all in that powerless or, or where nothing changes when you get to the middle wrong that wait and hope.

That's not doing anything to harm the situation, but it's certainly not doing anything to make it better. So you're just waiting and hoping that somebody else does something you're waiting and hoping that it gets better without any action. Okay. You're just waiting. You're just hoping that something, but you're not taking any responsibility to do anything at that point. You're not really taking any action. So then let's talk about where we get into the place where we make things happen. We are powerful at our actions and our words become powerful in changing the situation. This is that acknowledging reality. You're owning it. You're finding solutions and you're getting on with it. You're making it happen. Okay. So when you are in on that top part of that ladder, or in that top level of that elevator, you are, when you start to acknowledge reality and own it, you become responsible for those results.

And therefore you do and say things differently to get a different result. When you're finding solutions, you're actively doing what needs to be done, to find the solution to the problem, to create, or make a change. You are creating something at that point. And then when you're getting on with it, okay, you had a bad outcome. Here's the solution. Let's get at it again. Okay. You're at the top of that level. So that's the accountability level. Now, why is that important? Number one, because it's biblically sound that we are created to be accountable. I want to give you a couple of references that talk about why we need to each individually be accountable. And once we're there, we can then move into group accountability or looking to hold other people accountable, or maybe it's simultaneous, but you first have to recognize your own need to be accountable before you can hold someone else accountable.

Matthew 7:3-5 says this. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye, or how can you say to your brother, let me take that speck out of your eye. When there's a log in your own eye, you hypocrite first, take the log out of your own eye. And then you will see clearly enough to take the speck out of your brother's eye. So owning your own specs, owning your own, um, places that you need to create, change that you need to acknowledge that reality. And you need to start finding solutions and then getting on with it, taking that action, creating that change, owning that first, then allows you to have the ability to help others do the same.

Here's another scripture I tell this is Matthew 12: 36-37.

I tell you on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every careless word they speak for, by your own words, you will be justified. And by your own words, you will be condemned, which just reminds us that we're accountable for what we do and what we say. Our words are important. I talked about that in the bonus episode related to sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. That's a lie words will hurt you where we are accountable for what we do and say there's power of life and death in our tongue. That means that our words are important. And then finally this moves into how accountability stretches beyond us Ecclesiastes four, nine through 12 two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone two, well, withstand him a threefold cord is not quickly broken. So then that talks about how we are in community with each other. And so in order for us to be impactful in order for us to make a difference, we individually have to be accountable. And then we together have to hold each other accountable and together as a community be accountable. So that's my message on the word accountable today and having accountability. So I told Joe's going to be a little bit hard to hear, but as I'm reminded of a train on a train track, all of us need feedback in order to get to our destination, to get, to become who we are. And by the way, the word of God in the Bible is great feedback for us. So anytime that we need feedback, we should open up that book.

James is a great book, uh, that is very convicting and sometimes piercing, but it holds us accountable to who we are and who we are, who we are becoming the, Oh, here's where I was going with this. So feedback, it reminds me of a train on a track. The track is there to help give the train feedback in order for the train to get to the destination. The train can not make it to the destination without the track there, the track, when it, every time it bumps that track, the track gives it feedback to say, Whoa, too far to the left. Whoa, too far to the left, get back on track, get back straight, right? And then the train gets to the destination with the track leading the way, think about when these things are hard for us to hear, think about it as feedback.

You know what I love you enough to give you the feedback. I love myself enough to hear and receive feedback. That's hard to hear. So then I can reflect upon it and prey upon it and make changes where changes are due so that I can be a better person today than I was yesterday, so that I can be better for my kids, better for my spouse, better at church, better at work. The only way that we really can control our outcomes or the only way that we can really impact our outcomes, the most is to be open to the feedback that has to do with ourselves. Search our own hearts, search our own minds, reflect on our own words and actions that we have in each situation, really be open to making the changes we need to make to be a better. You be a better mama, be a better wife, be a better leader at work.

Okay. We can spend a lot of time on trying to correct or hold others accountable. But if we are not accountable first to ourselves, to who we are to the values, the morals, the ethics, the rules, okay. The rules that we've placed for other people, if we're not accountable to those things first, then we're just really running our wheels, trying to keep other people accountable. We have to be accountable first before we can hold anybody else accountable. What I want you to do is just think about where are you in any given situation on that accountability ladder. Think about if you're on the bottom edges of that ladder, or if you're at the top, if you're in that getting on with it, finding solutions, then you're probably in a great place. If you are down below where you are, either unaware or in denial or blaming others or making excuses, then you might want to look inward a little bit and see what you can do to get yourself higher on that ladder, because you want to at least be in the weight and hope wrong, right?

You want to at least be standing on the wait and hope because at least then you're not doing anything to make anything worse, but you're not doing anything to make it better. Now I would challenge you to step up on that next rung, which is acknowledge the reality. Start to own it, find solutions and then get on with it. Okay. I would challenge you to be above that. Wait and hope. Okay. All right, sister. So next step in this series is going to be about assumptions and you know what they say about the word assume? Do I have to say it all right? I think you know what it is. All right. We're going to talk about assumptions and we're going to talk about offense. Okay. Taking offense. All right, ladies. So let's just pray us out on that. God, I want to thank you today for opening our eyes, to see open our ears, to hear all those things that you need for us to strengthen our spirit, to strengthen our person for all of those people that you've put into our life.

God, let us see in our hearts where it is. We need to change reveal those things to us so that we can pray on it, reflect upon it and start to make those small changes, to be more accountable to who it is you're calling us to be. I thank you God, for the Holy spirit to take over when we are looking at ourselves so that we can see more of you and less of ourselves just reveal all of those places, God, in our heart that we need to take more action to be more like you in Jesus' Holy name. Amen.

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