TSSI #7 - From Excuses to Excellence: Embracing Personal Responsibility
Read Time: 3 minutes
Today I'm going to be discussing the power of personal responsibility and its effect on high-performance & happiness.
To explain, I'm going to share a parable:
Two brothers and an alcoholic father.
Once upon a time...
Two brothers grew up in an abusive household with an aggressive alcoholic father.
He was the worst father they could have had.
On a weekly basis, he would get drunk and become abusive.
They lived with this throughout their childhood and teenage years. Right up until they moved out of the family home.
Fast forward 20 years, the father is in prison for violent crimes.
But so too, is one of the sons.
The mother goes to prison to visit her son, and asks him "how did you end up like this?"
To which the son replies "My father was an alcoholic, how could I not?"
Meanwhile, the other son is flourishing.
He is a successful businessman, and an upstanding citizen. He has a beautiful wife and two kids.
When asked the same question by his mum "how did you end up like this?"
The son answers: "My father was an alcoholic, how could I not?"
This story demonstrates the power of taking responsibility for your life. Bad things can happen to you, but there's always a choice of how you respond.
"You are responsible for your life. You can't keep blaming somebody else for your dysfunction. Life is really about moving on." - Oprah Winfrey
Do you shift blame & play victim? Or do you take responsibility for your life?
P.s. pretty sure this isn’t a Roosevelt quote, but I thought it was funny.
Lets dig deeper
When we talk about personal responsibility, we're talking about taking ownership of three things:
Our choices
Our actions
Our outcomes (as a consequence to the first 2)
It means stepping up and being accountable, rather than shifting the blame or making excuses.
This mindset is a game-changer for those who aspire to achieve greatness.
High-performance & Personal Responsibility
Let's start with high performance. Picture a world-class athlete stepping onto the court.
They don't just rely on talent and luck.
They understand that their success is a result of their commitment to personal responsibility.
They take charge of their training, nutrition, and mindset, leaving no room for excuses.
It's about showing up, putting in the hard work, and pushing beyond limits.
But personal responsibility doesn't stop at the realm of sports. It extends to every aspect of our lives.
Imagine a successful entrepreneur who's built a thriving business.
They didn't achieve their goals by pointing fingers or waiting for someone else to make things happen.
They knew that success was within their control and embraced the responsibility that came with it.
Sidelined with injuries for close to half of my professional career, at times I felt like giving up and wallowing in self-pity.
It's easy to become the victim.
But I always picked myself back up, saw the silver lining and came back stronger.
Had I not taken personal responsibility, I'd have achieved far less in the sport.
Happiness & Personal Responsibility
Personal responsibility plays a profound role in our pursuit of joy and fulfillment.
When we shift from a victim mentality to one of personal responsibility, we empower ourselves to create our own happiness.
"The moment you accept responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you gain the power to change anything in your life." - Hal Elrod
Consider this: instead of blaming external circumstances for our unhappiness, we take a hard look within and ask ourselves:
"What can I do to change this situation?"
This shift in perspective empowers us to make proactive choices, seek solutions, and shape our own happiness.
It's like being the director of our life's movie, scripting the plot and steering it towards a delightful ending.
Here's what taking personal responsibility looks like:
Taking ownership of our part in conflicts & misunderstandings
Taking responsibility for our personal growth
Overcoming obstacles & owning our response to those obstacles
Owning our mistakes & not shifting blame
Owning our results & not making excuses
The results of personal responsibility:
More success
More happiness
Better relationships
Higher self-esteem
More confidence
Less anxiety
So, whether you're striving for high performance or yearning for lasting happiness, personal responsibility is your trusted companion.
It's the compass that guides you towards excellence and fulfillment.
If you're interested in reading more on the topic, I'd highly recommend the book:
"Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEAL's Lead and Win"
by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
