Clients always ask me “what is the one most important thing that is required to be more successful?”
There is no single thing that guarantees success, but the most important success principle is we need to TAKE 100% RESPONSIBILITY!
This means being what I call “at cause” for our results, as opposed to at the “effect” of the world. Let me explain…. At cause means we accept we create our experience of life and we acknowledge we are responsible for everything we produce in our life. At effect means we blame things outside of our control for the way our life is, and ultimately outsource our emotions to external things, which is extremely disempowering.
I believe that I am 100% responsible (at cause) for all my results, and non-results. The ones I like and the ones I don’t. I don’t know if this is true, but this success principle is how I choose to think.
“I BELIEVE MY RESULTS IN LIFE ARE ALL DOWN TO ME, NO ONE ELSE. NOTHING ELSE.”
I don’t blame (at effect) my past for my results. I don’t blame the economy. I don’t blame others. It’s me. And when things go really wrong, it’s still me. No exceptions. Sometimes it would be really nice to say, ‘that’s not me’. But it is.
Like I said, I don’t know if it’s true, I just act as if it is. Then I know when things go well, it’s me. And if things go really well, it’s really me. If you act as if this is true, and take 100% responsibility for everything that occurs, two things happen.
- You have less to report to people about what’s wrong in your life, because what you’d tell them is what’s wrong with you.
- Your results in life will improve.
I know a person who arrived at a problem that seemed to have no solution. And yes, it’s a difficult challenge. Instead of persevering to find a solution, they offloaded it to their supervisor to solve. Now that supervisor knows that they are 100% responsible, so they will find a solution. They’ll also get the rewards that go with it. The other person who gave up will never find out what they’re made of.
Self-esteem and self-belief all come far easier when you accept taking 100% responsibility for your life. Accept all the responsibility, and you have to act. You have to do something. You are compelled to turn things around. This is how self-esteem builds and eventually flourishes. It doesn’t grow when you hang back. It doesn’t grow when you give the tough stuff to someone else. And it doesn’t grow when you think responsibility for your results lies somewhere else.
As your self-esteem grows, you become more attractive to others, and lead by example as a leader. By taking 100% responsibility and being “at cause” for everything you create in your life you can now grow yourself well beyond what you could previously imagine and create better, more consistent results in all areas of life.
