I’m a big fan of personal accountability, although, admittedly, perhaps more often in theory rather than personal action. That admission being made, I do like to take responsibility for my own actions, my own course, my own reactions, my own “victim” mentality. It’s easy to talk about doing things, much harder to actually accomplish those things. One way in which I love how corporations are, um, incorporating, this personal accountability into their own practice is through health insurance (don’t worry, I’m not going to take a political tangent here). At both my current and previous employer, employees were able to gain monetary benefits if they completed certain healthful activities. These activities ranged from getting your annual exam to exercising to completing volunteer projects. Now, let me just say, I LOVE this idea. I’m fortunate in the sense that whether I complete these activities or not, I have good insurance. However, want a couple hundred dollars back for that good insurance? Then work for it. Get healthy! Be preventative! Just do it! Now, I’ll also admit (before anyone needs to point it out!) that I’m certainly not the healthiest of people. It’s my own fault, due to my own actions, and yes, my own laziness. And it’s up to me to fix it. And why not let my employer remind me of this—if health itself isn’t enough of a motivator, well, money is. So, through my employer and the wide variety of programs they offer, I have enlisted in a 10 week healthy living/exercise/weight loss initiative. Honestly, the goal seems easy enough to meet but will require continuous, on-going maintenance. This is a good thing, a great thing!! I’ve also enrolled in beginners’ ladies running group. It's a 6-week training program with the goal being a 5k in August. Seems easy enough to most, next to impossible for me! But what’s the point of trying new things if I only stick to the ones I already know I like? Yesterday, I may have told a friend to not hold me to any of the aforementioned running stuff. That if you never hear me mention running again, assume that running became extinct. There is no need to ask me “hey, when are you running that 5k?” BUT what’s the good in that? Where’s the accountability? So hopefully, by writing this long-winded blog entry, I will, in some small way, be making myself accountable. Who wants to admit they failed? Besides, how can I let my loyal blog audience down? J