In my work as a teacher, I know that accountability is probably the most important tool you’re going to need if you want to make your life your practice and use your choices, your decisions, your relationships, your challenges as a vehicle, as a springboard, as a palette for your spiritual growth. Think about it. All plans, every effort, and each action you think about needs to be actualized in order for it to reap results. In our universe, thinking is not enough. You need to put muscle behind the idea in order to manifest any results in our physical world.

This is where many people fail. It’s easy to think about our ideas. The video, The Secret, told us all you need to do is think about what you want and you become that. I take exception to that. It’s not enough to think and to wish and to hold intentions. We need to put attention on our intentions. Prioritizing your ideas, following through. That’s where accountability comes in. Become accountable. Get a teacher. Get a journal. Put 2 hours a day on your calendar for any efforts you have. Put 15 minutes to start out with. Take one intention that you have and start to put your attention on it. What can you do for 15 minutes a day that will make this intention come into fruition?

Some people would tell you to set objectives and line up tasks to complete each choice. I’m going to say that if you have an intention and you want to become accountable, while setting objectives and tasks is helpful, and a coach would tell you to do that, as a teacher I ask you to show up for yourself. Put time aside with one intention a day. Put 15 minutes of your attention on it. Open up. Close your mind and open your being and sense what is it that I need to do to move through with this intention. During this 15 minutes of concentrated effort, when you come out of your 15 minutes of focused time, ask yourself, “Where in my life, what relationships, what situations can I remember to bring this intention into?” If you’re practicing patience, I’m sure there are many places that you can find that you can practice the intention you have around patience. As you leave your 15 minutes of concentrated effort, end your time, honor yourself by reminding yourself where in your life you can bring this intention. Then be mindful of it as you go through your day.

I think you’ll find that with this practice you’re going to become accountable to yourself. You won’t need lists of tasks and objectives. You just need your awareness.

Enjoy the day. We’ll be talking soon.