Everything you experience in your life is the result of your actions. This is maybe one of the most fundamental and basic principles in life. Only when you take 100% responsibility for ALL your actions, you can experience a rich and meaningful life. Only when you understand that it is you who is in charge, you open up to the possibilities of actually changing your life to the better. Make yourself clear that everything around you is the result of your thoughts, words and actions. You are responsible for what happens in your life. Some people don’t want to believe that, because it would destroy their view of the world. Their ego couldn’t handle that and their “identity” would crumble. The comfort of blaming others for their shortcomings might disappear once these people take control over their life. But what now? These people would be left alone with the exact thought that they could actually change their life for the better!
It would also force them to take the responsibility for it (for the good AND for the bad). Isn’t it easier to tell yourself that you simply COULD not succeed because of whatever “good” reason you think you have? Read more about what I mean by “their ego” here: The Ego: The Only Reason For Your Problems And Worries
Here are a few indicators that you might not have yet taken full responsibility and control over your life:
- You often come up with excuses for your behaviour.
- You blame others for your own circumstances.
- You have problems with following through on your assigned tasks.
- You want others to fix your life.
- You assume that your life will better when you have … (insert anything you think is super-duper important).
- You feel like you deserve better, yet you are not working for it and want others to fix it for you.
- And, my personal favourite: You really want to win the lottery! =)
In order to have more control over your life you have to be the one in control (makes sense, doesn’t it?). And to do so, you also have to take on all the “troubles” that come with living a life with that responsibility. You have to become leader, and stop being a follower. You have to make your own decisions, and you can no longer hide behind some other person’s orders. If you really want to turn your life around and raise your personal standards, try some of the following action steps:
- Give up all your excuses. They won’t get you anywhere.
- If you don’t like the outcome, change the your response to it. You are the only constant.
- Understand that everything you experience today is the result of your choices you made in the past. Therefore you can make better decisions now!
- If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got. Change your methods to change your results!
Funny fact: In Jack Canfield’s book The Success Principles the concept of taking full responsiblity over your actions and life ranks Nr. 1 out of the mentioned 64 success principles. I guess this emphasizes pretty much how fundamentally this skill is in order to get anything done in life! <3
“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.” – Jim Rohn (America’s foremost business philosopher)
