There is a competency that we have disregarded in the workplace for some time, and that is personal accountability. Personal accountability has great benefits for organizations, but is has an equal, if not greater value on the individual who practices it. (Pay attention because I'm about to give you one of the best reasons of all to work on it.)
Those who study positive psychology used to think that happy people were the ones who were not under stress. They have since discovered that happiness is not correlated with a lack of stress or perfect environment. (IF it were, how many people could really describe themselves as happy?) It is correlated to the amount of accountability you accept in your life.
That's right: the more responsibility you take for your results, the happier you will be. Which is really great news. Because seizing responsibility is a choice: to find peace and be happy and productive no matter what your circumstances. It has to come from the inside. No one can give it to you, but no one can take it from you, either.
HAPPINESS IS NOT CORRELATED TO PERFECT CIRCUMSTANCES OR A LACK OF STRESS IN YOUR LIFE, BUT TO The AMOUNT OF PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY YOU ACCEPT.
If you are feeling deflated at the end of the your day--or even sometimes at the beginning--I guarantee you that the stories your telling yourself are like holes in your tires letting all the air out.
You will be happy and will have peace of mind to the exact degree that you accept responsibility for your results. Those who have learned this and other tools of reality-based living leave the office energized because they have had an impact and they have dealt with reality the entire day, to the best of their abilities.
At this point, you might be wondering what the appeal of arguing with reality and learned helplessness could possibly be. If this mindset is the root of all unhappiness, reduces productivity, increases drama, and poisons organizations, why does it persist? For one simple reason: It feels safer and easier to blame than to act. As long as we can blame something outside ourselves for our problems, we don't have to take responsibility for our actions. Often this is not conscious thought. It manifests itself as frustration and poor results.
The best news of all this is that through awareness comes change.
To your greater success and fulfillment,
Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT
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