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When it comes down to bettering your reality and callusing over the victim’s mentality, it’s fundamental that you learn about taking ownership of your actions.
As you take control of your life, and take full responsibility for your actions, vulnerability, discipline, and determination will be your three best friends.
In the end, you’ll be so glad you did this because once you start owning your mistakes and holding yourself accountable, your potential exponentially expands.
Today, I’ll give you all the tips you’ll wish you had known about years ago regarding taking ownership of your actions.
This post is all about taking ownership of your actions.
Taking Ownership of Your Actions
What does it mean to take ownership of your actions?
Taking ownership of your actions and owning up to your mistakes means that you place your life circumstances squarely in your own hands.
You stop blaming your parents, your ex, your friends, and your boss for your current reality.
Instead, you take complete control of your life and focus on the habits, mindsets, and lifestyles that will bring you closer to your highest self.
“It’s only when you take responsibility for your life, that you discover how powerful you truly are!
Allanah hunt
Let’s face it – we all have baggage of some sort. You could easily walk around not taking ownership of what life has thrown your way:
- Divorced parents
- Lack of financial and/or emotional support
- A toxic work culture
- Failed relationships
- Dissatisfaction with our physical appearance
OR, you can shift your headspace and decide, once and for all, to own your reality.
In this process of owning your power, know that you will go very inward.
Taking ownership of your actions requires constant commitment. It’s not enough to learn about the tactics explained below – you’ll have to rewire your instincts to accept responsibility, instead of casting it onto the people and situations around you.
Lucky for you, if you are looking to take ownership of your actions seriously, I have some life-changing FREE resources and books to help you with this process.
Why is it important to take ownership of your actions?
So, why is holding yourself accountable for your attitude, behavior, mood, and actions so important?
The power of taking responsibility for your life cannot be understated.
If you consciously choose to live in a world where everything is happening TO you, not FOR you, you will always remain stuck where you are today.
If you truly believe that everyone other than yourself is the reason for your being where you are today, how are you ever going to grow?
In this space, you’re living in a reality where you have no power over your own life. Where you’re the victim of the unfortunate cards you’ve been dealt in life.
As soon as you recognize that all you need to do is play the hand differently – and stop blaming a lousy deck – you become much more empowered and free.
The reason why it is important to take ownership of your actions is simple: without owning your voice, you can never master yourself.
Here are a few core reasons why taking ownership of your actions is so essential:
- Your mental health and emotional well-being will greatly improve. Instead of feeling powerless and out of control, you’ll remember who is at the center: YOU! Without peace, there is no power.
- When you start owning your actions, you gain more autonomy and control over your reality. You are at the helm of your own ship in this model – you’ve taken the outside world out of the spotlight.
- You develop a much deeper understanding of your true self.
- As you invest more time, energy, and effort into working through your traumas and getting to the root cause of your actions, you develop empathy and self-compassion as well.
- Not only will your relationship with yourself grow, but you’ll strengthen relationships across all domains of your life: romantically, professionally, and with friends.
What does it mean to take ownership of something?
For those curious about the exact habits and behaviors needed to actively take control of your life, I’ve got you covered!
There are several easy ways to incorporate owning up to your actions into your daily lifestyle. I’ve outlined a few of them below:
Own the good and the bad: while taking responsibility tends to get framed as a reaction to negative behavior, it’s equally as important to celebrate the wins as well!
Whether you have to take ownership of your actions when you lied to your significant other, or you have to congratulate yourself for getting that impressive first job out of college, know it goes both ways!
Along these lines – when others praise you for a win, accept the compliment with open arms! Know that you deserve any recognition that comes your way.
If you broke someone’s trust, hurt them – intentionally or not – or offended them in any way, get comfortable with apologizing. It doesn’t make you weak, wrong, or dumb- it means you’re human. And that you possess the self-awareness to own up to your mistakes.
Also, be ready to begin taking ownership of your actions without being prompted to do so. Consider this practice a ritual that you do for yourself – not because others need you to do it for them.
Finally, when it comes to holding yourself accountable to others, be honest about your past mistakes and any major takeaways you got from them.
You should also listen to these individuals regarding what types of behaviors, mindsets, and actions gel with their personalities. You’ll quickly learn if you two are compatible (or not! You’d rather know now than 10 years from now…).
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How do you take full responsibility for your actions?
There are various elements to owning your power, especially when it isn’t something you’ve done for a long time (or ever)!
In order to make this big transition in your life, the first step is mental buy-in. You have to want to take ownership of your actions more than you want to blame others for your life.
It’s really that simple.
Just decide to stop hyper-fixating on the elements of your life that are out of your control when things go wrong. Instead, ask:
- How would the highest version of myself respond to this obstacle?
- Is this revealing any unhealed trauma or pain I’ve left unaddressed?
- What steps can I take to correct this in the future?
And remember: once you’ve bought in today, you’ll need to buy in for the long haul. This practice will last a lifetime – you’ll be tempted to revert back to the victim’s mind space, but know this will derail your progress.
This life is 100% your responsibility.
How to take responsibility for hurting someone
If you’re anything like me, you absolutely hate hurting people’s feelings.
While it may not be intentional, unfortunately, there are bound to be times when your actions hurt someone else. However, know that it is more important to pick owning your mistakes over gaslighting the other person for your remarks.
In addition, know that when we hurt others, we are likely coming from a place of hurting ourselves.
That’s why it’s important to take the time to look deep within yourself and figure out why you’re projecting your hurt onto others. You cannot run away from feeling shame or guilt in life!
Next, once you have your reasoning, warranted or unwarranted, recognize that hurting other people’s feelings may be a side effect of vocalizing your opinions.
Now, it’s important that you own your stance and apologize for any wrongdoing on your part. Do not do so with the expectation of garnering a reaction from the other person. Do it for your own peace of mind, to fulfill your promise to yourself to take ownership of your actions.
When you approach resolution in this manner, you set yourself free from future suffering.
Taking responsibility for your actions in a relationship
When you’re in a romantic relationship, regardless of how long you’ve been together, you become extremely attached.
When you’re in this space, it’s easy to get into the routine of letting small, micro disagreements slide. Sadly, one day, the mound will build up underneath the rug, and your disagreements will become unavoidable.
In order to mitigate, or avoid, a future blow-up, make it a point to talk through your feelings from a calm, self-aware perspective.
Offering a sincere apology, and being willing to evaluate your instinctual response to criticism or bad news, will help you with this process as well.
And get your partner on board with this, too. Make a pact that you will both do a better job at owning up to your mistakes and holding responsibility for your life.
Last, but not least, remember that you are responsible for your reaction to someone else’s behavior.
If you don’t like the way you’re being treated, choose to walk away. Don’t blame a clown, ask yourself why you keep showing up to the circus!
How to take responsibility for your life
Here are the best overall strategies for taking responsibility for your life:
Go inward: nothing can be solved without looking within first! If you’re struggling to accept and own your life circumstances, it may be because you’re not happy with where you are in life. Or you think the world is against you.
Some tips for working through this type of struggle include investing in therapy, healing your trauma response, and completing shadow work exercises.
Communicate: with yourself and others. Don’t be shy when it comes to expressing yourself. Remain in touch with your deepest self, and you’ll have a much easier time holding yourself accountable.
Don’t forget to engage with others, either. Talk issues through and seek understanding, do not “compete” or attempt to “win” an argument.
Also, take informed action when you speak – try to come from a place of love, not reactivity.
Don’t blame others or make excuses for your behavior, either. Get to the bottom of what is within you that led you to have the reaction you did. Lastly, heal that trigger for your own future.
Live intentionally: design a lifestyle that aligns with your priorities, not one set by the default guidelines society wrote for you.
Honor yourself: control yourself, and stay true to your values. It becomes much easier to own your behavior when you are actually proud of it!
Leverage resources: there are so many FREE ways to enhance your emotional well-being, and better comprehend how you’ve gotten to the place you are today.
Here are some great resources and books I’ve created to get you started!
You can also incorporate a self education ritual into your monthly reset routine so that you’re constantly holding true to your commitment to take ownership of your reality.
Forgive yourself: if you really want to master taking ownership of your actions, be willing to accept the past, once and for all.
Have a positive, optimistic attitude towards the future because you know this transformed, healed version of yourself is much better equipped to handle life’s curveballs.
Accept negative emotions: it won’t always be sunshine and rainbows in life. When feelings of anger, bitterness, jealousy, or hate bubble up, let them pass through your ocean of thoughts. Ride the wave.
Ultimately, frustration forms from feeling discontent with the way the world materializes. Instead, let life happen, and respond accordingly.
Reshape your mindset, and your actions will transform as well.
Have compassion: owning your mistakes and holding yourself accountable isn’t easy! It can feel like you’re constantly tearing yourself apart when in reality, you’re just healing old wounds.
Practice self care on a regular basis, and watch out for emotional triggers. Know that this is a long-term habit, and that bumps are likely to arise on your path. You are strong enough to face them!
Taking Ownership of Your Actions: Wrapping it Up
There you have it – those are all my top strategies for taking ownership for your actions.
Are you planning on implementing these strategies to evolve into the highest version of yourself? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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