That Dag Burn COUCH!!!
The other day my two year old daughter Annie walks up to me crying (ok it was more like whining)…And she say’s, “Daddy the couch hurt me.”
That Dag Burn Couch
And ya know, Annie getting konked on the head had nothing to do with the fact that she was sliding off the couch head first trying to do a handstand. Nope somehow the couch miraculously tossed her off. It’s sad really, Annie still refuses to accept the couches apology.
It’s crazy how at a very young age we’re conditioned so that when something goes wrong we look for the cause of the problem outside of ourselves. Sadly most people maintain this mindset (to some degree) throughout their entire life.
And for most struggling entrepreneurs, it’s a key factor in why they continually fail. So here’s the deal, if you want to be successful running your own business you have to be able to:
- Think through and process ideas.
- Implement a plan and…
- Systematically execute.
And the most important part of the process…
4. You have to be accountable for the outcome.
It’s too easy to fall prey to a ‘victim’ mentality where we conveniently place the blame of the outcome on external forces. Long term success is found on the other side of accountability. When you blame others you give yourself permission to give up, “It’s not my fault I wasn’t successful marketing on the internet because…”
Being accountable opens the doors for you to find solutions. Commit yourself to be accountable and you’ll put yourself ahead of the game!
Here’s a quick quiz and depending on your answers, you’ll know if you’re flirting around with a victim mentality:
1. You’ve interviewed for a promotion at your job and you didn’t get it, when you found out you:
A. Knew that the interviewer didn’t know what they were talking about
B. Knew that someone sabotaged you
C. Knew that you could have done more to prepare
2. At the last minute you decide to invite a friend out to dinner, your friend says they won’t be able to make it, you react by:
A. Thinking, “She always does this; it’ll be a long time before I ask her out”.
B. Thinking, “I’m sure she had something important, no worries, I’ll catch her next time”.
C. Thinking, “Fine, I didn’t want to really go out to dinner with her anyway”.
3. You’re driving down the freeway and a car cuts you off, your first thought is:
A. “I hope that guy gets in a wreck!”
B. “Wow, that guy must have something really important to get to.”
C. “Blasted (Insert State Here) Drivers!”
-Matt Schaugaard
Comments»
This is so true (I love how we learn so many important lessons from our children), I just gave a training all about perspective. One of the most disempowering perspectives is blame. When we blame others (or even ourselves) we have no control. The opposite of blame is responsibility. Many people think of responsibility as a burden but its actually the opposite. Taking responsibility leads to freedom and opens up all kinds of opportunities. Thanks for sharing!
I think the whole world is confused about this. Before the 60′s you had to respect authority, so part of your responsiblity was in the hands of others. Then came the rebellion against all that – let us have our individual freedom! That’s great, but you then have to take all the responsibility – can you do that if you haven’t been taught how? Boomers like me have had to change from one to the other and the millennials have been brought up by confused boomers………
If leaders can’t assume that everyone in their following will have the attitudes and skills necessary for taking responsibility, is there anything they can do to help those who need it?