How To Take Responsibility© by Larry Winget, The Pitbull of Personal Responsibility®
Taking responsibility is the most critical step toward success that you will ever make in anything you undertake, either personally or professionally. The ability to take responsibility for everything you are, everything you do and everything you have is also the biggest challenge you will ever face in your life. Few people ever really master this step which is why so few people ever achieve greatness. Follow these six steps and watch your life change for the better!
- Make a list of all the things that are keeping you from being successful in each area of your life: why you are broke, why you an unhappy, why you are unemployed, why your relationships suck . . . all of it. Whine, cry and get it all out there and written down. This is your chance! Don’t skip this step – make the lists!
- Go to each one of these lists and write your own name at the top of each list. Why? Because you are the reason your life is the way it is. Nothing else you have written down matters. Your thoughts, your words and your actions created the life you are living. Stop making excuses and face that reality! There are people who face much bigger challenges than you do and they have still figured out how to be successful. So get your excuses and even your ‘legitimate reasons’ out of the way and face the facts: YOU are your problem. The reality is that we all have pretty much the same list we are working with. Some folks can take the list and get rich and some will take the list and go broke. Don’t blame the list; it’s not the list’s fault.
- Go to the mirror, look yourself in the eye and have a little heart-to-heart with yourself. Say these words: “My thoughts, my words and my actions have created the life I am living. I take complete responsibility for everything going on in my life. I will stop blaming. I will stop making excuses. I am in charge of my life and I am taking control of my results from this moment on!”
- Repeat this affirmation daily until it is ingrained in your psyche. Yes, daily. It works.
- Remember this line: Affirmation without implementation is self-delusion. Saying the words alone isn’t enough. The affirmation is only a verbal reminder that you are responsible. Now you have to prove you are responsible by taking action to create the life you want instead of the life you are living.
- Live by this rule:
Larry’s Number One Rule For Life and Business:
Do what you said you would do,when you said you would do it,the way you said you would do it.
This simple statement is rooted in personal responsibility. It should be at the very core of all your interaction with others. Every time you are tempted to slack off and do less or be less than you could, remind yourself that you are a person of integrity who lives by this simple creed.
This blog is based on an excerpt from my New York Times bestseller, People Are Idiots and I Can Prove It. To order your autographed copy go to www.larrywinget.com.
Larry,
Love the post. Sadly you hit the nail on the head. I have seen so much wishy washy motivational bilge written about chanting affirmations or believing in the subtle waves of the universe.
Ultimately the only way to really get change is to put enough energy behind you to get going. You can’t do that until you know where you are and what you need to do to get where you want to go and do it.
All the best,
Ross
You make it so simple!
Best regards,
JR
I’m printing out several copies of this post and pasting them on my bathroom mirror and computer monitor so I don’t forget. Your affirmation and number one rule are the best. Thanks again and again!
Awesome truth hurts. Worth it to grow. Thank you
Larry, thank you for your simplicity: making it clear and to the point and not giving us the ability to give an excuse. I live my life by your standard and most of your thought processes; thanks for writing a book 8 years ago that changed my life.
V/r,
Rudy
Great post, Larry! The best of the best is: “Affirmation without implementation is self-delusion.” That’s the part so many people don’t get. Thanks for the reminder!
jim
Larry;
I wish I had come across your irritational rantings before I listened to any other motivational/inspirational speakers 20 years ago. Then I might not have such long lists to clean up at 40. Your mantra has been ringing in my ears for years now, but being an Entrepreneur I say it:
Do what you said you’re gonna do,when you said you’re gonna do it, for the amount you say you’re gonna to do it for.
Larry thank you, love this post. Wish I had read it 20 years ago!
Keep up the great work.
Regards
Lynette Allison
Continue to reinforce this message again and again – humans are undeniably very forgetful creature. You are doing a great service to human kind.
Hi Larry,
Thanks, that is so much true and simple and we still forget.
thanks for reminding me again that IM responsible for my success
or my desaster.
best regards
Nasir.
Good, solid, simple advice that almost seems too easy to actually work! But the sad truth is…it is that simple, it just takes some work! And it’s called work for a rea….hey great title for a book!
And I love that fact that Larry has copyrighted the phrase “How To Take Responsibility©”
You go Winget!
Fred Moore
My SGT in the Army told me that a good leader passes the credit and takes the blame. That really resonated with me. You remind me of him.
Larry, just finished reading People Are Idiots. It’s F A N TA S T I C! Thank you for writing it.
Maria
“Your thoughts, your words and your actions created the life you are living. Stop making excuses and face that reality!”
This is it in a nutshell!! So many people are so busy blaming everyone else for their situation, they are so wrapped up in their own “story”, they forget how they got there!
Trusth can be a difficult mirror to look in for many. Terrific post!!
Lynn
Love you no. 1 rule.
It’s been motivating me since months, thank you!
Larry,
I handed out your Rules for Life and business post cards I recieved from you several years ago, to all my employees. These simple rules have helped build our business to what it is today. Thanks for the e-mails it reminded me to re-address this very important part of our company phyilosphy in our next company meeting!
Thanks again
Rob
Hello Larry,
I listen to your audiobook and I had to do something about my life. First I change the way I eat and started being more active in my life. I have health problem and I have young kids. As a single parent my child only see me as the one to do it all, so I had to change. Plus I really was not happy with myself…I want to be smaller in weight so I can do more and future husband is active in the gym and his health is great!!! Health can live longer than me, so I have to do what is needed for me. I lost 20 lbs so far and I started on my dream career and business. I have some debt I’m taking care of but I HAVE to do it….Thanks for keeping it 100
Love Jeanine
Thanks Larry. I love your honest and blunt advice. I am at fault for all the problems in my life. It is such an easy concept but yet most people (sometimes myself) forget.
Hi Larry,
May I translate into French your article on responsibility and put it on my blog ? I will of course acknowledge you, write a few words about you and mention your book.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Madeleine
Est-ce que je peux en avoir une copie un coup que c’est fait?
(Ou je peux aussi le faire si vous voulez…)
janiklitalien@hotmail.com