The Importance of Accountability
This post is crossposted at fatbloggers.net and is my inaugural post there. I want to say thanks to John T over at fatbloggers.net for allowing me to be a part of the site. Be sure and check out the site and pay a visit to some of the other contributors’ blogs.
Here we are nearing another New Year’s Eve. Every year at this time, a large percentage of people begin to set their goals for the upcoming year in the form of New Year’s Resolutions. Every year, one of the top resolutions is to lose weight, yet every year the average person gains weight. Despite good intentions, most new diets will not last into the second week of January and almost none of them will make it to Thanksgiving. By the time Christmas has rolled around again, everyone begins thinking about the few pounds they have gained over the year and they tell themselves that the holiday overindulgence is okay because come January 1st, they are going on a diet. Unfortunately, the cycle is likely to repeat itself again next year.
Nevertheless, there are some people who do succeed in their weight loss endeavors. They begin their diet, whatever it is, and they stick to it. They slowly, but surely, lose the pounds and soon become the envy of their overweight peers. It is my belief that the reason for success is not the latest, greatest diet, nor is it some magic pill or formula that “ensures” success. The reason people succeed is that they have finally had enough. Like Rocky (in the movie Rocky II), after being beat to a pulp by Apollo Creed, these people look up at their Mickey, and say from the bottom of their heart “I ain’t goin’ down no more!” (see the movie clip below, 9:15) These people who succeed have decided that it is time to stand up and fight.
If you continue to watch the rest of this fight scene through the middle of part 2, it is clearly obvious that Rocky’s determination doesn’t mean he won’t get hit anymore. Rocky continues to get beat like a punching bag, but that doesn’t change his determination. Our decision is no different. Life doesn’t suddenly become easy just because we made a decision. No, it may be harder than ever, but it doesn’t matter, the decision has been made.
While I think the most important part was Rocky’s decision that he wasn’t going down again, this was solidified when he told it to Mickey. Once Rocky said this to Mickey, he couldn’t let him down. He was now accountable. You and I need this accountability too. When we are only accountable to ourselves, it is easy to forget our commitment. When dieting and exercise get tough, it is easy to forget the resolution, but if we have made ourselves accountable to someone else, then we have an obligation. Now someone else knows when we fail. This doesn’t mean that our fight won’t still be tough – it will. It doesn’t mean that we won’t make mistakes – we probably will. It doesn’t mean we won’t feel like failures at some point – we probably will. Heck, even after Rocky told Mickey that he wasn’t going down again, he did. It didn’t matter at that point though, Rocky wasn’t going to lose the fight.
I encourage you to find people who you can be accountable to, your Mickey. Be sure and tell them your plans. Tell them that the days of you being this fat are over; every day going forward will be an improvement. Tell them you ain’t staying fat no more! When life continues to knock you down, go back to your corner, look at those you are accountable to, and tell them once again that you are in this fight to win. Then, shake off the hits you have taken, and get back in the ring.
My Mickey is my family and close friends, who all know how important this is to me. It is also my online friends I have developed along the way, with whom I have shared my commitment. It is also my blog, which is my way of shouting to the world, “I ain’t staying fat no more!” If you don’t your Mickey yet, get one. Look him (or her) straight in the eyes, and with all the vigor you can muster, tell them that your fat days are behind you. Ask them to make you accountable. Remind them that if they care at all about you, they have an obligation to remind you of your decision every time you fall down. Remember, you will continue to get hit. In fact, you may even get knocked down again. No matter what though, you are in this fight to win. Now, I just heard the bell ring again. Get up off the stool and get back out there and fight!
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