Where to start with this one!  I am a self-proclaimed type A.  In the past I have prided myself on how much I can take on.  I was accountable to everyone but me and totally unaware of it.  I thought because I did diets or exercised or went on organizing rants that I was accountable but that was just busy, thoughtless, habitual action.  Unbeknownst to me I didn’t know this wasn’t going to make me into the person I wanted to be.  I even had this quote by Marianne Williamson hanging over my kitchen sink, “Every circumstance is a chance for you to practice being the person you truly want to be.”  I knew the concept but I was so caught up in being busy that I never had time to slow down to really look at myself and if the choices I was making were helping me become who I wanted to be.

So how does this have anything to do with being accountable?  For me my body started the accountability process.  I didn’t honor it so it told me that I wasn’t doing that anymore.  Wouldn’t it be great though if we could be accountable to ourselves without crashing and burning and hitting walls?  I had someone ask me when I got sick,  “How would you treat a fine art masterpiece?”  I answered that I would find a special place for it, I would dust it, and care for it like one of my prized possessions.  I would love it and look at it and speak kindly of it because I knew it’s value.  Now that’s a whole different topic, which  I will address in another blog post.  I believe we are all masterpieces of God’s creation.  In my life I’ve looked to the Bible as a guide.  There’s a quote that I love that says in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”   If this is the case, then why are we often not treating ourselves as masterpieces?  Is overworking, not caring for our basic needs, forgetting our vitamins or eating balanced, not getting exercise, outdoor time, proper rest, etc. (all topics we will address this year) treating ourselves like a masterpiece?  No!!!

I am currently in the process of retraining myself to do this because obviously I am not good at it.  My habits of perfectionism, working hard, self sacrifice, etc. were preventing me from being accountable to myself and living in a balanced way.  As I’ve begun to look at these things I’ve discovered some good things that really help me stay on track.

ACCOUNTABILITY TIPS

1.  I awake before everyone else except on Sundays so that I have time for just me.  This is where I write what I am grateful for and how I want my day to go.  Start with positive intentions.  I will get specific with my morning routine later.
2. I have quotes around the house in areas I commonly spend time, that lift me up and remind me of who I want to be.  They include statements like:  “I am whole”, “I have a voice that people want to hear”, “I am whole” and my Marianne Williamson quote by the kitchen sink, “
3. I am working on saying yes to myself and no to others more, seeking balance.  To keep me on track I have regular doctor appointments, a nutritionist that I check in with, and fitness trainers that help me set goals and check in with me on my progress.  I will share more on this in the coming months.
4. I am learning to catch myself before I apologize.  I absolutely apologize if I have done something I don’t feel right about but I have a serious apologizing problem!  I apologize for everything from changing an appointment to making someone wait five minutes to not answering an email immediately.  If I’m constantly apologizing for myself it will be very difficult to value myself enough to put me first.  It goes back to how we value ourselves.  I have friends who will remind me not to apologize if they catch me doing it.
5. I meditate so that I can be conscious of what I am thinking about myself and how I can care for myself better.  Being conscious is everything!
6. I plan time for me.  Every Sunday I put myself on the calendar.  I will expand on what this looks like in future posts.  My doctor recommended specific things that I would have never done before like weekly massage for a while.  Why does it take a breakdown for us to put a value on these things?  Yes, it costs money but way less than medical bills from the ER and medications, etc. once we have to rely on them!
7. Finally, I’m sharing with you my intentions, goals, healthy living tips.  You may not want to start a blog but find a safe person or group, people who will encourage you and remind you if you are getting out of balance and not caring for you, share with them what you are doing.  Accountability is important especially when we are asking ourselves to grow!

I don’t want to overwhelm you with too many things because if you’re like me, you are already burnt out and having a time making space for yourself.  You can do this!  Most of it starts with a proper foundation of knowing our value and the rest can be built upon that.   I will be updating you as to how I am working this through too.  I’d love for you to write in the comments section on how you are going to hold yourself accountable to you.  Not to the expectations of others, but to you!