I have a big confession--I lie all the time to myself. Although I have no evidence to prove this fact, I would venture to bet that most of us lie to ourselves way more than we lie or even consider lying to other people.
Of course my lies are little and include small things like promising myself that I will exercise, do the dishes, wake up earlier, or any other manner of activities. In the end my short-term desire to put off the activity, do something else more enjoyable or just the thrill of avoidance--wins. This behavior typically only rears its ugly head when I have extra time on my hands. My productivity is directly linked with how busy I am. The moment I have hours--or days--free I become like a slug and get very little done.
These days I have a lot of extra time on my hands and consequently been experiencing this phenomenon. I have no immediate cure for my behavior--except to enlist the help of a friend. Making commitments to someone else keeps me responsible--and these days that is exactly what I need.
What do you do to hold yourself accountable?