The Power of Being Accountable
The Long Run Mindset - For a Life Worth Living #16
In today’s world, it’s far too easy to pass the buck. If a hire doesn’t work out, we blame the candidate. If a business deal fails, we blame the market. If we DNF a race, we blame the weather.
But the truth I’ve learned is this: When you own the outcome, you own the solution.
Accountability isn’t a burden; it’s a tool. And the best way to sharpen that tool is to make your intentions public. I call it the “Public Contract.”
The Midnight Choice
A few years ago, I faced a real test of this. A team member had a serious accident, aquaplaning into a central barrier. Catherine and I spent the night in A&E with him, keeping his wife informed while she was stuck 50 miles away.
The problem? I was due to start a 50k challenge at 2:00 AM.
To celebrate my 50th Parkrun and raise money for Pendleside Hospice, I’d planned to run the 5k loop ten times, finishing with the official 9:00 AM Parkrun.
At midnight in that hospital, I was exhausted and drained. I could have easily cancelled. But I had already created a system of accountability that made “quitting” feel worse than running:
The Hospice: People had already donated their hard-earned money.
The Volunteers: People were getting up at dawn to open the gates just for me.
The Pacer: My friend Dave had his alarm set for 1:30 AM to meet me in the dark.
Sharing Your Intentions
This is why I’m a big believer in telling people what you’re going to do. Whether it’s telling your team a business goal or sharing a training milestone on social media, you are signing a contract.
When you keep your goals a secret, it’s easy to let yourself off the hook. But when you share your goal, you invite a healthy kind of pressure. You aren’t just running for yourself anymore; you’re running for everyone you told.
I left Catherine at the hospital and met Dave at 2:00 AM. By 9:00 AM, I had 45k in my legs and stood on the start line for the final 5k. Catherine even managed to get our colleague home and make it to the finish line just in time to see me finish.
Ownership = Achievement
It is too easy to dodge responsibility. But if you hold yourself accountable—by verbalizing your goals and owning your mistakes—you can achieve things that seemed impossible when they were just “private dreams.” Every DNF I’ve had was my fault for not preparing; every successful hire was my win for getting it right.
The Lesson: If you’re struggling to stay disciplined, stop keeping your goals a secret. Tell your partner, post it on social media, or start a fundraiser. Give yourself a reason to show up when you’d rather stay in bed.
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