Consequences - Your New Best Friend.
“When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action. When you desire a consequence you had damned well better take the action that would create it.”
― Lois McMaster Bujold, Memory
One of my friends asked me how I continue to keep myself accountable to complete weekly blog posts for the last year or so. I’ve written 60 blog posts and to me, besides enjoying the creative endeavour and self-expression, I’ve simply decided it is important to me. I’m pretty proud of myself for being able to do it, and although lots of other people successfully manage to maintain a blog, here’s my view on it and how I’ve successfully kept it consistently updated.
WHY ARE CONSEQUENCES IMPORTANT?
Consistency is key. We’ve all heard that before, but how do people maintain consistency? I think the question about maintaining accountability is worth exploring. Many people struggle with self-accountability and I figured that I might as well share my perspective on the issue.
How do I maintain the accountability?
For me, it’s a simple answer.
I simply don’t negotiate with myself.
I don’t let myself have that mental conversation, the negotiation, the rationalization of why it’s acceptable to miss a deadline.
And I prioritize it because it’s important to me.
As you get older, you learn about consequences, the reactions and effects of an action or condition; in addition, the effects of an inaction.
In our adult lives, things that are typically consequential and therefore prioritized are work-related.
If I don’t do X task, I’ll get fired and won’t get paid.
If I work hard and work overtime or finish the project on time, I’ll get paid quicker or get a tip.
If I show my boss that I’m good at my job, I can ask for a promotion and make more money.
And although these societal expectations and norms for climbing the corporate ladder are largely engrained in our minds, we can also think outside of these expectations for ourselves.
Cause that’s just it, these are arbitrarily determined tasks that are deemed important for us to accomplish.
HOW TO LEVERAGE THE IDEA OF CONSEQUENCES FOR PRODUCTIVITY
So for me, knowing the fact that I can likewise decide on other arbitrarily important tasks, I can use that to my advantage.
I can decide to prioritize X task. I can decide it’s a non-negotiable. I can decide that it needs to be done.
Then after all that, there is only one thing to do - to execute it.
Consequences are a huge part of that process for keeping me accountable.
Why? Because unless I act in a manner consistent with my words or beliefs, it won’t get accomplished.
Here’s how I do it.
Know deep down inside myself that I truly want it.
This only works if I am the type of person to be able to clearly and definitively know I want it. If you aren’t this kind of person, are more wishy-washy, or are still wondering about whether you do want to achieve this task, then it may not be a good technique for you.
Establish that you want to accomplish this task or project by a certain timeline.
Setting an arbitrary final due date is important. Getting good at establishing dates allows you consider timelines, project aspects, and better understand the scope of the project.
Decide on daily and weekly goals to achieve.
Monthly goals are too long-term and easy to procrastinate or negotiate with yourself. Weekly and daily goals keep the sense of urgency and importance relevant and in the front of mind.
Establish a list of negative and positive punishment for yourself.
Figure out some things that you don’t want to do or would rather not do immediately. Chores, regular un-fun necessities and even things you are looking forward to that you would be motivated against losing are good.
Things like un-fun chores (taking out the garbage, cleaning, laundry, errands, paying bills) are a good consequence. You eventually need to do them anyways so your consequence is of low true punishment and is actually also productively contributing to your life.
As we get older, I find that people have a reduced tolerance for discomfort or not getting what we want.
As we get older, we have financial power, we have the autonomy to decide what we want.
It makes sense that we have a lowered tolerance for not getting the things we want, especially in the short-term (e.g. cravings for a certain restaurant or type of food, buying an article of clothing) because long-term goals, everyone needs to be more patient with (e.g. buying a house, retiring).
But when you are school-aged, it is normal to not go to parties, need to study, not get to hang out with friends because you have to study. These are normal proceedings for you as a kid because your parents dictate that school work needs to be done first before play.
When you get older, because you work, you feel that you are entitled to do these things. Why should I have to skip a fun social event with friends? Why should I have to work so hard? Why should I have a consequence or “punishment”?
It all circles back to what I decided in the beginning.
I’ve simply decided it is important to me.
So, for me, consequences are good. They keep me accountable. They hold me to what I say to myself.
If I say I want X, I have voiced to the world and to myself that X is important and worth prioritizing.
I don’t like saying I want X if it’s on a whim, not REALLY important because that ultimately devaluing the word in my mind.
It devalues the impact or sincerity of my words.
It also devalues the weight of my words - even if they’re just to myself.
And in a world where everyone can have a hot take, say words and then retract those words, the weight of words is something I deem worth caring about.
So the next time you’re struggling with completing something or holding yourself accountable. Ask if you truly want to achieve that thing. Ask if you are a person willing to make your words or desires a reality. Establish a consequence for not achieving it. And then go execute!