To succeed in making significant changes in your life, it is vital that you take responsibility for everything already in your life.
Taking responsibility is vital for your ultimate happiness.
You must own all the decisions and the choices you have made. By doing so, you free yourself from guilt and shame. Accepting that that was then, and this is now, you can let go of the past and move forward.
When you accept your part in the bargain, you accept that you had some degree of control, that you are not a victim of circumstances, that you are an adult and you had choices.
Taking responsibility for your life means owning your own crappy mistakes and forgiving yourself anyway.
Here are five ways to take responsibility for your life.
1. Stop blaming others.
Blaming others for what is bad in your life is dishonest and unhelpful. It only results in bitterness and resentment. It also robs you of your power. When you blame others, you are effectively saying it was outside of your control and there was nothing you could do about it.
Sure, things will happen for which others are entirely to blame. Like in a car accident, when one driver is completely at fault. You are not responsible for the accident. But you are responsible for how you react to it. Blaming someone for ruining your life due to a car accident is not accepting responsibility for your reaction to the accident, for what came afterwards.
When you accept responsibility, you take back your power, and you can take action to make better choices and decisions.
You may feel in the moment that your feelings are justified, but remember, casting blame will never make you happy or successful.
Releasing blame and accepting the part you played is not about defeat either. It is not a case of they win, and you lose. Letting go of blame is all about peace – yours!
2. Stop making excuses.
When you make excuses as to why things went wrong, you are missing the opportunity to learn and grow from the experience.
When there is no personal accountability, there is no room for self-development. Whereas if you take responsibility, you can look at what went wrong without judgement and get on with the action needed to do better next time.
3. Love yourself.
Sometimes failing to take responsibility is an indicator of low self-esteem. You see yourself as powerless, a victim of circumstance.
If you take responsibility for your life, you can accept that you will make mistakes, but that you will figure out how to remedy the situation.
Make the decision to love yourself no matter what.
Build your self-esteem from inside out.
Determine to be your own best friend.
4. Do what you say you will do.
Take responsibility and always do what you say you will do.
Act with integrity always.
This will nurture both trust and admiration from others.
Do not over-promise. As tempting as it might be, be aware of what is possible and do just that. Over-promising and under-delivering eats into your reputation and your own self-worth.
Be impeccable with your word. Build your credibility by walking the talk.
Be dependable. Be reliable.
Be that one who always does what she says she is going to do.
5. Stop complaining.
When you accept responsibility for your life, you see it clearly and objectively. You see the role you played in creating your current circumstances. Complaining erodes this; it abdicates responsibility.
Learn to accept what is, change what you can, and accept what you cannot, but do not complain.
Moaning is futile and unattractive, so resist the urge to moan whenever you can.
For happy and fulfilled life, it is vital to take responsibility. But this is not a one-time action. You need to take responsibility for every single decision that you make and accept the consequences with grace.
Accepting responsibility will not always be easy. It will take humility and courage at times. But owning your decisions and mistakes will liberate you, make your life feel easier and ultimately, bring you inner peace.
“The moment you accept responsibility for EVERYTHING in your life is the moment you can change ANYTHING in your life.” ~ Hal Elrod
