Can responsibility ensure greatness in our lives? We are held responsible from a young age to ensure we provide results. From being held responsible to do our homework, then when we grow up we are held responsible to be on time at work, it has been part of our daily lives without us realising.

Bearing this in mind, when did you last hold yourself responsible for your life? We can get back into the habit of using responsibility in our everyday lives to ensure that we reach a high level of greatness.

Here are 4 ways responsibility can lead you to greatness:

1. Be responsible for your own actions

Whatever action we take, we must take responsibility if we want to reach greatness. If it doesn’t go your way then don’t blame anyone else, or outside forces, take 100% responsibility for everything you do in life.

Get obsessive with it, if you’re late for work when you’d normally blame the traffic, realise that if you’d have left 5 minutes earlier you’d have made it. This may sound harsh on yourself, but it gives you the mindset that everything happens due to your actions.

Then when the successful times roll around you know that it was your actions that got you that deal or that raise and it was never down to lady luck. These actions might mean you fail at something but get back up, brush yourself off and learn from your mistakes, don’t shift the blame.

““In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

2. Be responsible for the change you want to see

As Ghandi said “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. There are no truer words spoken. You are the one that can change the world around you, hold yourself responsible to make that change.

If you want to see more positivity in your workplace, then hold yourself responsible to be the most positive person in your office. You are holding yourself accountable to take action and you don’t want to let yourself down.

3. Be responsible for your inner voice

We all have an inner voice, this will determine your path in life. Your inner voice will bring up your doubts, fears and insecurities.

Whenever a negative thoughts arises, write it down in a notebook or in your phone. Then next to it write three reasons as to why that thought isn’t true. Use past experiences where you’ve overcome that fear, or how you can overcome that insecurity.

There is a beauty in writing your innermost thoughts down as they become measurable and more importantly manageable. If we nip every negative thought in the bud as soon as they arise, we know we are staying on the right course to greatness.

4. Hold someone else responsible for their success

Once you have mastered holding yourself responsible then you can hold other people responsible. A mentor is one of the pillars of success. Be the mentor that holds them responsible and checks up on their success. Have an email conversation every week, holding them responsible for the goals they had set the week before.

People are more driven to deliver when another party is holding them responsible. We learn so much more when we teach subjects, so teach your student how to hold himself or herself responsible and have greatness in their lives.

These four action points will give you control over the direction you want to take in life. We can make a conscious effort everyday to guide ourselves in the right direction by holding ourselves responsible.

“Leaders..should influence others..in such a way that it builds people up, encourages and edifies them so they can duplicate this attitude in others.” – Bob Goshen

How else do you hold yourself responsible? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!