Accountability means taking responsibility for your actions and thoughts. It means owning up to it when you have made a mistake. Plus, it means doing what you said you were going to do, and doing what you know needs to be done.
Being accountable is essential for success and living a life that you can be proud of. Whether this is in the workplace, at home, or in your relationships, accountability is essential. Living life this way will raise your self-esteem, allow your relationships to grow, and you’ll make progress toward your goals.
Not only is taking responsibility essential for yourself to, but it is also essential for those around you. It will be a perfect example for others to follow, and they will respect you more. Other people can’t push you to be this way. However, it is all up to you.
Sometimes it may seem easier to let things go or to blame someone else for your mistake. Doing this won’t get you anywhere, however. The next time you feel this way, remember these quotes about accountability, and you’ll feel back on track.
Fifteen Memorable Quotes About Accountability
1. “Be accountable for doing the right things. This means ethical execution of the activities that will actually support the goals you have chosen for yourself.” – Sam Silverstein
As Silverstein explains, as you work your way toward your goals, hold yourself accountable by being ethical. Getting to the top by doing wrong things will not keep you there for long. Plus, it’ll teach people that they shouldn’t trust you.
2. “Blame is the coward’s solution to his fear of accountability.” – Craig D. Lounsbrough
When someone is always blaming someone or something else, they lack responsibility. By taking the cowardly way out of a mistake, they are choosing to hinder their growth.
3. “My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” – Oprah Winfrey
You know what you should be doing right at this moment. Make sure you are doing the best thing you can that will set you up for the next big thing coming. One step leads to the future, and if they are all reasonable steps, you’ll be successful before you know it.
4. “Accountability separates the wishers in life from the action-takers that care enough about their future to account for their daily actions.” – John Di Lemme
Anyone can wish for a successful and happy future. Only those who hold themselves responsible for it are going to reach their goals, however. You have to be willing to get started and take action if you want to see progress.
This is something that needs to be done daily. Skipping out on what needs doing will only slow you down, whereas action will keep you on the right path.
5. “You are accountable for your actions, your decisions, your life; no one else is, but you.” – Catherine Pulsifer
The things that you do or say are your choices and no one else’s. Each decision you have made is the result of your own decisions, no matter how it turns out. You can’t place the blame on anyone or anything else, as you are the one who holds control of yourself.
6. “It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.” – Moliere
You are responsible for things that didn’t get done, just as you are responsible for things you have done. When someone is counting on you to do something, you have to get it done on time. Otherwise, you won’t be living up to your responsibilities.
7. “People are more inclined to pass the buck than they are to take responsibility. The fact is, though, passing the buck doesn’t build your character or give you the opportunity to learn from your mistakes.” – Marshall Goldsmith
It’s easier to blame others than to admit to mistakes yourself. You can’t learn from your mistakes when you do that, however. It doesn’t give you a chance to grow and learn, and it can diminish your character.
8. “Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.” -George Washington Carver
It can be easy to get in the habit of making excuses. When this happens, you’re excusing yourself for not getting things done that should have been. You are holding yourself back and causing yourself to fail.
9. “In reality, we all have our lives, and the accountability for the achievement of our dreams and goals falls strictly on our own shoulders.” – Thomas Matt
You are responsible for reaching your goals and making your life the way you always dreamed of. No one else can get you there, and no one else can be blamed if you don’t make it. You have to work hard to achieve your dreams, and that means always being responsible.
10. “Accountability is – first and foremost – about being reliable. To get a good picture of your personal accountability, you may want to periodically ask yourself, “Can people count on me to do what I say I’ll do, as I said I would do it?” – Henry J. Evans
When you tell someone you will do something, and you don’t do it, you aren’t reliable. This is something to consider when determining how accountable you are. If you find that people can’t count on you, then you need to work on being reliable all the time.
11. “We are all responsible and accountable for what we do or say even if those behaviors occur in stressful times.” – Byron Pulsifer
You can’t use stress as an excuse to do or say things that you don’t mean. Even in times of stress, you have to take responsibility and make a conscious effort to be a good person.
12. “It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” – Sir Josiah Stamp
If you take the easy way out, you have to accept the consequences of doing so. Whether those consequences are a failure or lack of progress, you have to deal with them no matter what.
If those consequences are something more significant, you still have to deal with that, too. When you think of it that way, it may be easier to just take care of your responsibilities the right direction.
13. “In life, we can have results or reasons. If you are not getting the results you want, your reasons are the lies that you keep telling yourself.” – Harald Anderson
The reasons that Anderson is referring to are just excuses. You can make a change in your life at any time. So, if you aren’t where you want to be, it’s on you, and you have to stop lying to yourself.
14. “Neither age nor experience matters when it comes to being personally accountable for any and all outcomes- no excuses whatsoever- be they positive or negative, nor shifting blame to other people or to external factors.” – Kory Livingstone
No matter how old you are or how experienced you are, you still have to take responsibility for yourself. As Livingstone explains, the outcomes of your decisions are on you, no matter what excuse you come up with. You can’t blame anyone else for what happens in your life, as you are the one in control.
15. “When accountability is present, people keep their eyes on a very clear prize. They know what they are working toward and how they are going to get there.” – Henry J. Evans
You have to know what you are working toward if you want to keep it in mind. Set a goal, even if it is a short-term one, and set your eyes on it. Make decisions every day that will help you get closer to the target.
Once you have achieved it, you can set a new goal for yourself. Or, you could just set one long-term goal and work on making that one. Whichever way you choose to do it, you must keep focused and stay active.
Final Thoughts on Quotes About Accountability Never to Forget
Everything that happens in your life is a direct result of your choices. This is why you must practice accountability every day. Each day when you wake up, you have to decide to take a step toward your goals.
If you do this, you will be sure to be successful in your endeavors. By taking responsibility for your life, you are ensuring no one else can mess things up for you. Placing blame on other people or events doesn’t help you reach your goals as it slows your growth.
Be responsible and do what needs to be done, and you can be sure to head down the right path. Remember these quotes the next time you feel like taking the easy way out, and you’ll be sure to hold yourself accountable instead.
