Be Accountable: your Future is your Responsibility

by FundiConnect Editorial Team | 5 August 2019

High school may be the best time of your life, but it also comes with responsibility, such as deciding which subjects to take and which extra-curricular activities to participate in. It can be overwhelming. We get it and we are here to support you through these trying times.

Choices have consequences. Even the choice of whether or not to play tennis after school.

Whether you go with the flow or march to the beat of your own drum. There is a ripple effect that will have an impact on your future in some way. Deeep! Talk about pressure. Welcome to growing up. It’s time to be accountable for your decisions.

Okay, you got me freaked out here. What does accountability look like?

Be Accountable: Five Traits of Accountable People

Don’t stress, we’ve got your back. Here are some common traits all accountable people share:

Do what you promise to do – we all shoot and miss sometimes, but promising something when you know you’re unable to deliver leads to a major fail all round. There is no point trying to talk yourself out of it when it blows up in your face – you gotta face the music. Which brings us to:
Don’t blame or make excuses – when you’re in the line of fire, it can be tempting to point fingers or make excuses as to why you couldn’t/didn’t do something, but try and avoid this. Own up to doing wrong. It feels terrible in the moment but you’ll be glad you did the right thing in the long run and others will respect you for it.
Take responsibility for your actions – ‘your’ is the operative word here. You don’t have to take responsibility for someone else’s actions. Just your own. Show willingness to talk about what went wrong and how to avoid it in future.
Be honest and transparent at all times – this can be difficult when dealing with the less honest among us, but it pays in the long run, even when being honest in the moment doesn’t.
Do the right thing – most of us chase instant gratification, even when it’s undeserved or illegitimate. But do the right thing and you’ll be rewarded – perhaps not right away, but living with integrity can only be good in the long run and will be recognised one day.

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How to be Accountable

Accountability is the ability to take ownership of your actions. High school brings with it many decisions that could affect your future; even things like who you hang out with. You become like who you spend time with. Keeping your future in mind when choosing subjects and extra-curricular activities enables you to make better choices instead of just hoping to skate through high school. Remember, life is connected and each choice affects more than just the life-area at hand.This is growing up at its best.

An accountable person has a good sense of when they’ve done wrong and they are able to swallow their pride and apologise. A genuine apology clears the air and if you practice the above characteristics, you’ll gain the respect of everyone around you. Even if you aren’t old enough to drive yet 😉

But. There’s always a but…

Big Decisions call for Support

Being accountable doesn’t mean that you should make major decisions alone. There is great value in seeking the advice of parents, teachers and even your peers. Reminder: FundiConnect has always got your back too. No man is an island and the best kinds of accountable people are often accountable to someone specific. Letting someone in on your thought processes enables them to give you an objective opinion. It also gives you the opportunity to know if you’re on the right track or if you need to change course. Perhaps a different perspective could clue you in on things you may not have considered. And remind you of the decision you made, if you conveniently forget as well as the reasons for making that decision. A support structure is designed to hold you accountable.

FundiConnect 2Cents

The great thing about learning to be accountable is that accountability is called for in all areas of life. So once you’ve developed those accountability muscles, you’ll easily be able to exercise them when you have to. We all have to start taking responsibility at some point. Why not now?

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FundiConnect Editorial Team

The FundiConnect Editorial Team researches, writes, and maintains comprehensive guides on South African higher education, bursaries, NSFAS funding, and career development. Our content is verified against official institutional sources, DHET publications, and direct admissions office communications to ensure accuracy for students navigating their post-school journey.