Taking personal responsibility for your happiness in life

Reading time 5 minutes
Taking personal responsibility for your happiness in life

It's not your fault if you're not on time - the weather was bad and the other drivers slowed you down. When in doubt, blame the others if something doesn't work out. It's so easy to shift the responsibility away from yourself. But is it a good thing? Ultimately, you are responsible for your own decisions. Your life is not completely determined by others. Recognize your own responsibility and get out of the victim role. This way you can do more for your happiness in life and feel more self-confident at the same time.

Definition of personal responsibility

What exactly does personal responsibility mean? The Definition means that you take responsibility for your own decisions. This self-responsibility includes a certain security and a sense of duty. Assume responsibility for actions and omissions - and for the consequences. Personal responsibility therefore involves a high degree of self-determination and maturity.

The opposite of personal responsibility is external responsibility: This means that you push the responsibility onto others.

How personal responsibility influences our lives and our decisions

Children bear little responsibility and base their decisions on their parents. Only over time does an attitude of personal responsibility develop. Some examples of personal responsibility begin in childhood, for example when children admit their guilt when they have broken something. This in turn has an effect on their later sense of responsibility.

You lose your job: Is only the annoying boss to blame? Wasn't it also your negative attitude? Whatever happens: You have much more influence on it than you think. You should take responsibility for many events yourself, because at some point it's no longer up to your parents, colleagues or superiors.

When you are aware of your own responsibility, you cope better with your problems. You feel stronger and can do something yourself. Consider the possible consequences, overcome difficulties and admit your own mistakes: This makes you a self-confident and active person.

Unfortunately the Term Personal responsibility has become the catchphrase of 2021, which is related to a misinterpretation. In connection with the Corona pandemic, the buzzword personal responsibility was wrongly defined as social responsibility on the one hand and became a kind of justification for egoism on the other.

take responsibility

Negative effects

Too little personal responsibility makes people victims. Those who conceal their mistakes and blame others feel they are on the safe side. But in the long run, this has negative consequences for the Personality Development.

In psychology, personal responsibility is a important elementto actively solve problems. Taking responsibility for mistakes in this context means taking personal responsibility.

Who from Fear is silent before punishment, but suffers when others suffer. This upsets people without personal responsibility. If they have done something right, everything is good. The others are always responsible for mistakes. But those who never experience the consequences for their mistakes lose their own moral balance. What is right, what is wrong?

Lack of personal responsibility also leads to decision-making difficulties. After all, how are you supposed to know what to do if you have no idea what the consequences will be? After all, when in doubt, others are responsible for cleaning up after you - you can see at first glance that this attitude can't work.

If you make mistakes, you learn from them - which is another reason why it's important to take personal responsibility. Otherwise, your personal development will fall by the wayside.

Reasons for lack of personal responsibility

Why do so many people lack the courage to act on their own responsibility? Often it has to do with the fear of failure. It can't just be down to oneself if things aren't going so well with one's career or family.

Obviously, some people feel more comfortable blaming circumstances, fate or other people. This victim mentality is a typical cause of a lack of personal responsibility. A serious illness makes life difficult, one partner manipulates the other - no wonder the victim mentality is so common. But many things are in your own hands: So there's no reason to give up power. Otherwise, even a grumpy face in the supermarket will put you in a bad mood for a few hours - or a fluffed exam will be the trigger for lasting performance anxiety.

The fear of failure paralyzes you? But if you give in to it, you make yourself weaker than you are. It's your choice, it's in your power to move forward anyway.

Some people suffer from self-doubt and complexes. These often develop in childhood, especially in a strict parental home. It is worthwhile to work through these experiences in order to create a self-determined life to be able to lead,

How to recognize if you are not taking enough personal responsibility

Something went wrong and now everyone is looking for the person responsible.

"It wasn't me" - "It only happened because others did such and such ..." - if you find yourself saying these things more often, it's a sign of a low sense of responsibility. Here you can find a few more typical signs for a lack of personal responsibility:

  • Lack of courage to speak one's mind,
  • can not say no,
  • Escape to the Victim role,
  • Do not admit mistakes,
  • Excuses and defense tactics,
  • Conflict avoidance,
  • lack of sovereignty.

6 ways to strengthen your personal responsibility

Sometimes you need courage to admit your own mistakes and to take responsibility. Saying no can also be difficult, especially if you fear conflicts. So it doesn't work without courage and personal responsibility.

The Coaching at Greator helps you to release blockages. This is important in order to get rid of the victim behavior and to think more positively. With the following tips you train your sense of responsibility and develop your personality.

  • Feel inside yourself and use first-person sentences. Don't fall back on phrases like, "You could be relax ..." but say, "I'm going to relax now." In this way, you make yourself more aware of your own feelings.
  • Make a conscious decision. Which path will you take? What is your plan? Remember: Sometimes doing nothing is also a decision.
  • Say no when you've decided to refuse. This can be difficult at first. However, stick to your friendly no. If you provide an explanation, it will be easier for you and your counterpart will be able to understand you better.
  • Discover your own disruptive factors and change your attitude. Pessimism, loss of control or Perfectionism are typical causes of avoidance behavior. That's why you should think more positively and solve the problems of the Past overcome.
  • Recall pleasant feelings. You have mastered a difficult task or were in flow: That feels good and right. This shows you how important self-determination is.
  • Think about your plans and talk about them, even if the goal is uncertain. You can admit that you are not sure. But when you talk about it, you will recognize the Value of your goals. Plus, you'll see the goals from a different perspective.

More personal responsibility makes you self-confident

Without self-responsibility you give your decisions and your life into other hands. This weakens you in the long run and damages your well-being. You should rather concentrate on your mental strength. So you gain more self-confidence and are automatically more accepted. You feel a deep Satisfaction and are less afraid of conflict.

With the findings from the Personality test from Greator you can develop further and take on more responsibility in the future. This makes you strong and happy.

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