Foster a Sense of Self-Accountability: 1. Be honest

Be honest with yourself about both your strengths and your flaws

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Do you try to be a good person? What does being good mean to you? Do you do good things because they are the right thing to do, or because you think you’re expected to? Do you sometimes do good things just so others see you as good?

In such a culture that values approval, it is common to seek validation in the form of praise for performing desirable acts. This can help encourage some to do good things, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

But, when your focus shifts to valuing the perception of being good rather than valuing being good in and of itself, this is disingenuous. It creates internal dishonesty by making you focus on the external labelling and validation of others and neglecting to address the flaws in you that make you want to attain that idealised image.

The fact is that everyone has both good and bad within themselves. Both are a part of who we are. By acknowledging this and working to make the most of both, rather than trying to be what we think others want us to be, we have many more options to redefine ourselves. We can find ways to maximise the good, and turn the bad around to work for us rather than against us.

For example, some culture see competitiveness as bad. So, a competitive person may sometimes feel compelled to repress their sense of competition, which could limit their own development and growth as they are never fully committing their authentic selves.

But, the same person can actually turn his competitiveness into a strength by helping himself or his peers to succeed in a challenge, or using his competitiveness to fight against his challenges and pull him through hard times.

By being honest with yourself, you can live with greater congruence by making a clear statement of who you are, which you can sincerely follow through with.

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