When all else fails who do we hold accountable? Who is held responsible when things do not go as planned? The answer to these two questions may vary depending on who you are speaking to and when you are speaking to them. But the results will not change. What has gone wrong is still wrong, what was planned did not go as wanted, and handing off blame is not going to fix things. For a fix to occur, action must be taken. And it starts with you. This is who can fix the problem, and ultimately this is who should be held accountable.
Personal accountability or self accountability is one of the steps that is most difficult to accept. Why? Because as much as we feel we are holding ourselves accountable there is always room for improvement. Massive improvement at that. So where does it start? It starts where we are most comfortable, at home.
If we get to the bottom of all things, to the core, we are directly responsible for what happens to ourselves. Regardless of how you want to spin it, your actions or inaction dictates not only what has happened to you, and what is happening to you, but also what will happen to you. Your triumphs and your tribulations are a result of you. Tough pill to swallow right? But it is not nearly as bad as it may seem.
There is a massive amount of POWER and CONTROL in accepting accountability for yourself. By not only accepting ownership but also being able to take the time to see how you may have been responsible , for the outcome (good or bad), you have positioned yourself to win now and win later.
Yeah, you are pretty much winning all around. This only happens when you hold yourself accountable.
The win now occurs when you realize that you hold all the cards in your hand. You dictate what happens next. Your next move, your next decision can correct anything that has gone wrong and can help mature anything that has gone right. Pretty cool right? There is no reason to get down on yourself or upset at what has happened when you know you can change the outcome, right now. A lot of people think that by being held personally accountable it means that there must be some form of wrath shown towards you, even if it is shown towards you from yourself. This is not the case, it is actually quite the opposite.
The win later occurs when you realize that your greatest successes have been a result of you being accountable for your own moves. It is easy to duplicate moves you have made yourself, as you know all of the steps. It is difficult to duplicate the moves made by others, as you may not know all of the details surrounding the moves. Your accountability acts as a form of your preparation. It is part of your training before the big race. And regardless of where you place in this race you are the winner. Because you know you can always improve on the result you achieved.
So where do we go from here? Do we go back to passing blame because it is easier? Do we give the power of our own lives over to someone else? If you do, this means you are simply a passenger as someone else is driving not only there car but also pulling yours behind them. No, that is not the option we choose. It is not even really an option.
We accept our birthright. Accept what was yours the day you were born. Accept YOUR LIFE. Accept the responsibility that comes with it. Accept the results of every move you make, of every move you do not make. Accept the penalties for not moving quick enough, accept the penalties for moving too quickly without thought. Accept it ALL. Because the quicker you accept it, the quicker you take ownership and hold yourself accountable. Which means it will be even quicker that you can make the moves you not only want to make but need to make.
So I will ask you that question I started with again but in a different way. In this game of 1, in this race of 1, in this business of 1, who is the winner?