There's a saying in my house that I love to use with my kids: "You can't complain about something you're not willing to change." I'm also fond of using this saying with the entrepreneurs who I coach, when it comes to playing a bigger game in their business.
Do you ever catch yourself complaining because your business isn't exactly how you want it to be -- maybe you're too busy and overworked? Perhaps business is too slow?
How have you blamed others (maybe your clients or employees -- or even your spouse), or circumstances or especially the economy (that's everyone's favorite) for your business not being where you want it to be? Instead of blaming, what would happen if you began taking personal responsibility? How empowering would that be?
Taking personal responsibility for everything that goes on in your business and your life is what separates an advancing entrepreneur (who is playing a bigger game, earning top money and serving way more people) from all the rest.
Here are my three ways to start taking personal responsibility today -- and watch how complaining turns to being in complete control of the results you get in your business.
1. Be willing to do what others aren't. Willingness is everything. If it came down to it, would you be willing to move, let go of something, let go of someone, invest in yourself, stretch beyond your comfort zone, act in spite of fear, let go of old ways of doing things? Ask yourself: what have you not been willing to do in the past? How can you change that to reach your potential?
2. Take a No-Excuses Approach. Do you tend to have a lot of "reasons" for not taking action on specific opportunities that come your way? Here are some of the biggest excuses I hear from my clients: I don't have enough money, I don't have enough time, I'm busy, I don't want to travel, I can't leave the kids, my spouse won't let me. Do any of these sound familiar? Beware of how you turn excuses into reasons -- they're actually the same thing. Ask yourself: which excuse do you use most often for not taking advantage of opportunities you have? It really comes down to the fact that you either have excuses or you have results. Which do you want in your life?
3. Take decisive action. Once you acknowledge that you are solely responsible for the choices in your life, you can accept that you are responsible for every action and non-action. If you want different results, you must take action every single time. Successful people take decisive action. They don't over-think; rather, they trust their gut. When they are presented with an opportunity that answers their greatest challenge, they say YES to it immediately. They don't hesitate; they don't delay. They know that because the opportunity was presented, it was meant to be. The difference between a doer and a dreamer is the amount of action that follows their vision. You simply cannot steer a parked car. You've got to take action, implement, move forward.
Taking personal responsibility by being willing, eliminating excuses and taking decisive action when presented with an opportunity isn't always easy but I know I don't get out of bed every morning just to be average. I'm betting you don't either.