While thinking about my next article for Tribe Media, my thoughts were interrupt by an aging couple in mid argument.

The wife was berating her husband for his recklessness and in mid rage, the woman dropped her lunch time purchase all over the floor.

She simply said:

“Look what YOU made me do, YOU got me so angry I dropped my sandwich on the floor”

Don’t be like her,

Be accountable for your actions.

We all know someone who lacks the ability to take responsibility for their life and always finds ways to blame others for their circumstance.

If this sounds like you, STOP THIS NOW.

When you make yourself accountable for your own actions, you will find this is one of the most empowering things you can do.

By admitting fault, you can make plans to work towards a better life.

When you live a life where everyone else is at fault, your mindset defaults to expecting others to provide a solution (this will never happen).

The alternative is living with a belief you are powerless in your actions and the consequences that come with it – a ‘victim mindset.’

Consider a scenario where someone got drunk, stayed out late and came home to act crappy to their loved ones.

The victim mindset would blame their actions on ‘that’ friend who bought all the shots, completely missing the point.

They are responsible for the errors made – they agreed to go out, they set foot in a bar, they accepted the drinks….

“What if I’ve had a difficult upbringing?”

I don’t know you, your background, nor can I understand the horrors experienced in your upbringing.

Perhaps I’m being insensitive to some unique situation – regardless you are still living like a victim,

This is holding you back!

If you have been mistreated in life, remember:

• the past is not your future

• the person you are today, does not need to be who you are tomorrow.

Accept responsibility!

When working in a desktop job, you’ll notice many find it difficult to admit when they’ve made an error as it’s scary to admit faults.

They can only think about missing future opportunities and dented egos.

By covering up, the problem can become worse!

A key lesson I learned was when I made a mistake – I had no choice but to admit to my manager what I’d done.

He was pleased with my honesty, at the time I didn’t realise why – but I’d made his job easier as he could focus on damage limitation and avoided wasting time carrying out an enquiry to diagnose who did what wrong.

By admitting my mistake, I built greater trust and was the first to be selected to the next big project in the team – taking responsibility has its perks!

The biggest barrier to creating a better life is believing everyone else is the problem, not you.

Stop blaming the government, your ex, your boss, loser friends – whoever the cast of villains you’ve created this week.

Your life is your life, don’t let it be paralysed into submission because your ego is afraid of admitting you’ve done things wrong.

Like this article?  Read 3 Tips to Develop your Resilience to Pressure

This article was originally published for Tribe Media under the title Are You Responsible and Accountable for Your Life?  Slight modifications have been made to the original content.

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