How Can Accountability Help You Grow As An Adult?

The shift from being a child to a young adult and then a full-fledged adult has a lot of change that comes with it. Our mindset about accountability should be one of the biggest changes. Yet, it often does not change as much as it should nor as early as it should. Why do some of us not want to embrace accountability and why do others choose to? Can accountability help you grow as an adult?

Accountability at its core helps us grow into individuals that take more control of our lives. It is a mindset where you believe you are in control and you use that control to live your life. Embracing accountability helps us develop a more proactive lifestyle.

There are many different ideas that culminate into this one idea of accountability. Let’s dive into them in more detail below.

Victim Mindset vs Hero Mindset

The idea of the victim vs hero mindset, in this case, boils down to whether you believe life happens to you or not.

Someone who takes the victim mindset believes life happens to them, often placing the blame elsewhere, makes excuses, and avoids taking responsibility. Often someone with this mindset can be heard saying “it’s not my fault”.

The victim mindset focuses on what one cannot control.

The hero mindset, on the other hand, focuses on what one can control.

Someone with a hero mindset sees themselves as the hero or heroine of their own life. They believe that they make decisions that determine how their journey will play out.

Which Mindset is Better for Accountability?

Having a hero mindset means taking accountability for your life and what happens in it. Instead, of focusing on the things you cannot control, focus your energy on the things you can control to shape the life you want.

This is where many of us tend to fall short, especially in our early adult years. It is very easy to take a negative perspective on life and wallow in the victim mindset.

It takes way more focus and determination to choose the hero mindset each day. But this is where accountability and growth come together in adulthood. Choosing each day to look in the mirror and say I am in control and then taking control of your life each day is extremely difficult. But by choosing the hero mindset we are instilling in ourselves qualities that will help us endure and overcome the trials and tribulations of being an adult.

It is time to stop blaming others for what is happening in your life. You write your own story. If life is not going the way you planned, take a step back, re-evaluate, and make a change.

Be proactive and accountable.

Additionally, this means owning up to your mistakes. Stop lying. Recognize where you have fallen short, acknowledge those shortcomings, and work to be better.

Embrace accountability. Realize that accountability can help you grow. Once you do, you will put yourself in a better position to make your life what you want it to be.

Read More: 12 Harsh Truths About Adulting

Proactivity

Arguably one of the biggest challenges in life is fighting to be proactive. Someone who is proactive takes accountability for themselves and their actions. A proactive person seeks out those things that might hinder their development and works to overcome them early before they become a larger burden.

And sadly, much of being an adult is putting out fires.

Additionally, a proactive person seeks those things that they need instead of taking an “it will come to when it’s time” approach.

As an adult, we must find ways to embrace accountability through a proactive approach in life.

If you know that your family has a history of financial plight and misfortune? Be proactive in seeking knowledge to improve your financial literacy. This way you can avoid those pitfalls that capture others in your family.

Does your family have a history of health-related issues that cause early deaths? Be proactive and seek out those who can help you build healthy eating and lifestyle habits to decrease the chances of having a short life.

In a year from now, are you going to be kicked from your parent’s insurance? Be proactive and start seeking out your options now. You can choose the most affordable and comprehensive option available to you.

Much of the worries and issues that arise as we become adults are actually very manageable if we face them early. Of course, not everything can be put through a proactive lens. A medical accident or other life-altering emergencies can happen abruptly.

Nevertheless, a proactive individual will plan for some of these major emergencies by means of doing things like setting up an emergency fund or buying life insurance.

Taking a little piece of proactive control wherever you can is better than spending life in a reactive state always feeling behind and out of control.

Dedication to Reach Goals

Taking accountability for how we pursue our goals and wants in life will have a tremendous effect on how we see ourselves and how others see us.

In order to pursue those goals and achieve them, we must embrace dedication and hold ourselves to a standard of accountability that will help us achieve said goals.

Moreover, taking accountability for the goals we have means that we must develop routines and systems that nurture our dedication and build perseverance.

Choosing to put in the effort each day, especially those days we do not want to, helps us grow as adults because we are actively working to surpass our limits.

Therefore, again, accountability can help you grow.

With Commitment Comes Growth

Think about one of Bruce Lee’s most famous quotes:

I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who had practiced one kick 10,000 times.

– Bruce Lee

The dedication to practice and improve in life is a form of accountability that will help you reap benefits for life both personally and professionally.

If you are someone who is seen as reliable and dedicated at work, you will most often rise higher in the ranks and gain more autonomy. Why? Well, because your peers see how you work towards and achieve your goals.

On the more personal side, no one wants a significant other they cannot depend on when the time comes. People need to know that you can accomplish what you say you will do and be there when you say you will be there.

Nothing worth having in life comes easy. As an adult, we have to make the decision each day to do what we must and work toward the things we want. Dedication to do so is essential.

So what do you think? Share your thoughts below. Can accountability help you grow?

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Best of luck adulting!

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