Success from Taking Personal Responsibility

Don Loyd

As a real estate professional, I know things are always changing and there is a bottomless hole from which discouragement and troubling outcomes radiate.

Sometimes we have a tendency to allow events out of our control to dictate our happiness and success, or lack of those, as we sharpen our focus on something or someone to blame.

There’s no magic pill that will make you happy or successful. The simple fact is you have to face your fears and go in the direction of your choice.

If your goal is to succeed in your family life, business dealings, spiritual growth or social circles, you must take the bull by the horns and address those areas – and it begins by taking personal responsibilities for your choices and actions.

Our culture no longer believes in taking personal responsibility. People are eager to place blame elsewhere.

For example, if your personal life is in shambles, of course the cause is the spouse you married or your family of origin.

If you failed to close the sale, it was that boss or sales manager of yours who wouldn’t let you discount your product or offer bonuses.

If you made a bad decision in a real estate investment, it had to be the fault of the sales person, developer, or someone else close to the transaction.

If you lost money in the stock market, it has to be the broker’s fault or the bad advice from Uncle Harry.

The causes of your failures seem to belong to everyone but whom really is at fault. Look in the mirror! That would be you.

Here’s how you unlock the door to enjoying the freedom of success in all areas of your life. Before you develop positive, self-affirming, self-talk scripts to enhance your personal development and growth:

1. Acknowledge that you are solely responsible for the choices.
2. Accept that you are responsible for what you choose to feel or think.
3. Accept that you choose the direction for your life.
4. Accept that you cannot blame others for the choices you have made.
5. Tear down the facade of defense or rationale for why others are responsible for who you are or what has happened to you.
6. Embrace the belief that you are responsible for determining who you are.
7. Point the finger of responsibility back to yourself when you discuss the consequences of your actions.
8. Take an honest inventory of your strengths, abilities, talents, virtues and positive points and make sure you are using your strengths as best can.
9. Let go of blame and anger toward those in your past who did the best they could, given the limitations of their knowledge, background and awareness.
10. Let go of your anger, hostility, pessimism and depression over past hurts, pains, abuse, mistreatment and misdirection.

I know from personal experience that it’s easy to name all the things that rendered you incapable of reaching your goals, but it’s a good deal more gratifying to tell others how the same things didn’t stop you and to describe the brilliance with which you met each challenge (not to mention how you were inspired to succeed).

Successful people don’t place blame or make excuses – because they don’t have to. There is almost nothing you can’t plow through or work around.

From this day forward, choose to take responsibility for your own actions and choices. Find the power in taking personal responsibility and you will be free to live a much fuller and happier life. It’s amazing how liberating it is to rid yourself of the negative energy associated with the blame game.

Now, take inventory and make it a great “taking personal responsibility” kind of day.