“It’s Not My Fault”
There's one phrase that's banned in our house: "It's not my fault." If this phrase is ever muttered, instant consequences. Swift and harsh consequences.
I firmly believe ownership is one of the most important characteristics we can possess. Conversely, a lack of ownership is one of the most toxic. I've watched the positive and negative consequences in my own life, and I see it daily in others. When we take ownership, we (eventually) win. When we don't, we lose.
It's so easy to blame someone else or something else for things not going our way. It's convenient when we blame external forces for our personal failings. We're the victim. It's outside of our control. We have a natural and easy culprit to point our fingers at, allowing ourselves to skate away guilt-free.
On the flip side, when we continually take ownership, we can't help but grow and yield better results. Yeah, my teammate made a crappy pass, but I should have caught it. Yeah, my intern gave me faulty data, but I should have confirmed it. Yeah, it was a freak accident that my iPad wouldn't turn on, but I should have had a backup outline for my talk in front of 2,000 people. Yeah, my car breaking down was an unforeseen expense, but I should have created more margin in my finances for such an event.
Each one of us will encounter dozens of things each day that aren't exactly our fault. What we do with those will determine our eventual fate. If we simply say "it's not my fault," that's the gateway to loserville. However, if we're willing to take ownership every step of the way, we'll win. It won't feel pretty, and we might end up with some egg on our face, but we can at least walk with dignity and eventually find success. This applies to finances, work, business, relationships, and pretty much every other area of life!
Let's remove "it's not my fault" from our vocabulary. It doesn't serve anyone well, especially us, when it leaves our mouths. Take ownership, eat it, absorb the loss, and go on to conquer.
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