Accept personal responsibility for managing the tension in your life
Too many people blame circumstances or those around them for the stress in their life. The first step to self-leadership, and ultimately to great leadership of others is to learn to take responsibility for and manage your own responses to stress.
We liked this post from Brian Bacon on Leadership by Brian Bacon:
Don’t depend on any other person to relieve your psychological load. There is a good chance that you are the only one who can do anything about it. Don’t expect your partners, your boss, your spouse or anyone else to resolve your stress. Whatever or whomever you may think is the cause of your tension, you are responsible for your inner responses.
If you have given your power away to anyone, then reclaim it immediately. Realise that you have far more control over your own life and destiny than you probably think. Now is the time for self-leadership. Instead of worrying about bad things that could happen, be in charge of creating the type of future that you want.
- Clarify your own truth and purpose in life. Find your compass and become the captain of your soul. You can learn from others and benefit from their wisdom but in the end, your life is your own. Only you are responsible for the choices and decisions you make in life. Let it be a life that has dignity, elegance and meaning.
- Simplify your life and throw out all unnecessary baggage. Restructure your obligations. Get rid of excessive, unnecessary and unproductive duties and activities that don’t contribute to your focus in life or to your current goals. Focus your efforts on the few things that can make the biggest difference and abandon those tasks that don’t count a lot, even if you do them magnificently well. Accept that you can’t do everything and satisfy everyone at the same time.
- Reinvent yourself. Seek new challenges that amplify your experience base. Remember that one of the best techniques for stress prevention is to continue updating your skills in order to remain energised, passionate and employable.
- Enjoy the moment. Dont postpone your happiness. Don’t become so captured by your goals, hopes and visions that you forget to enjoy your journey. The aim of the surfer is not to get to the beach; it’s to enjoy the ride.
The best insurance policy for tomorrow is to make the most productive use of today.
Please let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Brian Groves, Kate Mercer. Kate Mercer said: Accept personal responsibility for managing the tension in your life: http://wp.me/p10voJ-9Y [...]
I only read your post today at around 9pm. You and I are thinking along the same lines. My post for today: “It wasn’t me….” is all about accepting responsiblities for my own actions and re-actions. It is down to me.
We still fall into the easy trap of blaming another. It takes a conscious effort to break the habit, because that is what it can become.
There is no getting away from it. Any change will involve effort and this is what can often put people off doing anything about thier actions. I really appreciate your four points. These show that there is a time and place in the process of change to have fun while learning new things. Thank you. Kate
Thanks, Kate. This guy is worth following. I loved his quote about the surfer: “The aim of the surfer is not to get to the beach; it’s to enjoy the ride”! I sometimes forget that myself…