LTM - 16. Accept Responsibility

16. Accept Responsibility

You alone are in complete control and responsible for the decisions you

make and the actions you take; for your success or failure; for your

happiness or discontent; for your present circumstances and your future.

This bold statement is not intended to frighten or threaten, but rather to

empower you.

How we handle responsibility for our decisions and our mistakes is a

direct reflection on our character. It’s easy to see early on in life who gets

it right and who doesn’t.

Consider the youth soccer player who always blames the team’s loss on

the coaches, the officials, and the other players. Or, the young

professional with a poor performance record who insists that it’s always

because of something beyond her control.

At the other end of the spectrum is the group of boys confessing to the

neighbor that their baseball put a dent in his car rather than running away,

or the husband who humbles himself before his wife and children and

apologizes after having lost his temper.

Universally, people who accept responsibility for their actions command

greater respect and have a stronger influence. Those who pass the buck or

make excuses eventually lose the trust and confidence of others. This is

particularly true when that person has assumed a leadership role. No one

wants to follow leaders who are unwilling to accept responsibility for

their actions.

 

Here are three actions you can take to accept personal responsibility when

something has gone wrong:

 Reflect. The first step is to conduct a self-examination to

contemplate your action or decision. Before you can make

anything right or apologize for a mistake, you must have a clear

understanding of where you went wrong.

 Learn. When you make a mistake or experience a failure,

consider what can be learned. Some of life’s most valuable

lessons come from the things we have done wrong.

 Change. Self-examination and learning by themselves are not

enough. If you are serious about accepting personal responsibility

and the benefits that come along with it, you must also commit to

follow through with change. Continue what’s working and change

what isn’t.

LTM Challenge

From this day forward, will you commit to accepting responsibility for

your actions and decisions?

A good place to start is by accepting responsibility in the following areas:

 The circumstances of your life today

 The state of your marriage

 The condition of your financial status

 The quality of your relationships with your children,

co-workers, and friends

 The plans for your future

Assuming full responsibility for your life

and everything in it

is evidence of your character and

your desire to achieve your personal best.