Sh. al-ʿUthaymīn رَحِمَهُ اللهُ was asked how a Muslim should hold himself to account. The Shaykh mentioned the following points:

He should reflect over:

• What he did
• What he failed to do
• What he said
• What he stayed silent about

For example:

• Why didn’t you say the truth in such-and-such place?
• Why didn’t you do this good deed in this situation?
• You did this evil deed in such-and-such a place
• You gave a false testimony in such-and-such a place

This is how one holds himself to account with respect to what he did and what he failed to do, in order to straighten any crookedness and remove any evil – this is the meaning of holding oneself to account.

Source: Fatāwá Nūr ʿalá al-Darb li Faḍīlat al-Shaykh al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn, 12: 16, no. 6190.