Accountability

As often it occurs to me, a source of my ideas and ramblings on this blog come from this activity...running. One of the beautiful things about running is that it allows your mind to wander, to process information, to generate ideas. I think that this comes from the mind numbing monotony of the repetition of a singular task. Pick foot up, move it forward, repeat end on end for 60 minutes. This allows for the mind to move into an alternate space without distraction from ulterior sources. It's a beautiful thing and while I still do not enjoy running, I find this to be the main benefit from my running and a great source of enjoyment. Now that I've cleared my head of those ramblings, onto the topic.So, I was heading off to the park near my house, just as I did for a majority of my runs. There wasn't anything atypical of the day, similar conditions, similar distances, overall a normal day. I had just listened to a podcast on the concept of motivation vs discipline and my mind was pondering thoughts and wandering around (which is also normal). I take off around mid morning planning to run about 7-10 miles on a path that is relatively a circle (this is important). As I run I often take small note of my surroundings, the people and dogs, the landscape, and other small details which is not to say that I dwell in that headspace, but to allow myself to be aware. On this day something I noticed was something I hadn't thought about before... my shadow.As I mentioned earlier the topic I was thinking about today was motivation vs. discipline, which I will do a brief summation as I'd like to write a full article about this at some point. Motivation can from external and internal sources. Motivation is the gas you pour on a smoldering fire. The fuel source for short term inspiration. It can come from people, youtube videos, podcasts, books, coffee, ANYTHING that gets you to change from the present state you are in into an excited, more motivated state. Discipline on the other hand is an interior only source. I think that some people will argue this point, but we can debate it in another article. Discipline means doing some "thing" (whatever that is) without fail or question on the agreed upon frequency and time commitment that you have decided. Discipline is habit. Discipline is trained through repetition and practice. Discipline supersedes motivation as it is never waning. This is where accountability comes into play.Accountability is a checks and balances system. It can come from external systems/people in the forms of people checking in, or having a calendar reminder, etc. Accountability is different than discipline...slightly. Accountability is a check up, an insurance policy on your commitment, that can be ensured through an alternate source. Where as discipline is something that comes intrinsically, without others keeping track of the progress. Accountability is the birth child between discipline and motivation (gross analogy). It allows you to have some extrinsic motivation while also pushing your intrinsic ability to self-discipline. So, what does all this have to do with me running in a circle in a park in Omaha?As I began to make my way around the trail I noticed that my shadow was moving around me, with my feet being the fulcrum. I saw my shadow move as the sun was casting it in different directions as I wound through the trail, although it never disappeared. It just moved as I moved, always there, always nearby. It then came to my attention... accountability (my mind works in weird ways). At the end of the day we are the ones who hold ourselves accountable. I often hear people talking about cheating on a diet or missing out on a workout, or whatever it was that they promised themselves they would do for this years resolution. Which made me think about the things that they weren't saying. We admit our faults and mistakes to an extent, but are we always honest with ourselves? Was it one donut, or three? Was it a 20 minute workout, or an 17 minute one? At the end of the day the only person who knows, the only person who can say I did what I said I did... is me. So, whenever you feel like finding a scapegoat, short changing a goal, or lying about how many donuts you ate, just remember your shadow is always there. Accountability comes from an internal discipline with some external help to do what you said you would do. Discipline is the consistent and regular gut check you have to accomplish your goals. And motivation is the gas you pour on the fire when you feel it cooling off. This relationship is crucial in our lives as human beings. We know that at the end of the day they are crucial to our accomplishments and that we have to utilize them to ensure our success because if not... then...failure... it is always lurking around a different corner, and only you know why that fire got put out.On purpose,Matt