Are You Taking Responsibility for Your Success?

I am fierce about achieving my goals, almost to a fault. When I decided to quit my corporate career to start my consulting business seven years ago, I set some key goals and followed them to a tee. For example, I launched my business exactly when I planned to launch. Since this time, I’ve continued to use goals to drive success in both my business and personal life. But, my ability to set and achieve goals has left me somewhat frustrated with the inability of others to achieve their goals as well…

I’ve found that most people miss their goals because they don’t take responsibility for their success.

Of course, I’m doing my part to change perspectives, coaching and advising dozens of individuals to support them in their mission to launch, build and grow their businesses. My frustration, however, comes when I meet someone who tells me that my success inspires them. My response is always the same “I’m honored, but there is nothing stopping you from achieving similar if not even greater success.”

Most listen; some ask me to explain further; however only a distinct few actually apply what I advise and this is where my frustration sets in.

Setting goals is a historically proven and repeatable process dating back to the 1960’s, yet so few actually take responsibility for success in achieving their goals and I’ve found that there are three predominant reasons for this:

1. Self Limiting Beliefs: We are what we believe we are. If you think you can do something, then you can. However, when challenges set in (and they will), whether you continue to believe in your success will set you apart from everyone else. This one factor will be a leading contributor to whether or not you actually achieve your goal.

2. Action Paralysis: Nothing is achieved without taking action, consistently and frequently. Achieving goals requires a fervent focus on taking action, regardless of the barriers or obstacles that present themselves. Most people fail to hit their fitness goals simply because it becomes too difficult to get to a gym. You must be oriented towards taking action which means getting creative when obstacles present themselves!

3. Social Conscious: If Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, or Steve Jobs had listened to those around them, we wouldn’t have experienced the world changing inventions they brought forth. Read the biography of any successful entrepreneur, inventor, business or political leader and you are likely to find stories of being shunned by the majority of the general public because their ideas (and actions) don’t conform with what everyone else is doing. If you are too worried about what others think, you will never pursue or even set goals that move you out of your comfort zone.

Reflecting on the reasons above, what ideas do you have to overcome your greatest weakness and ensure you achieve (or surpass) your goals in the new year? Are you taking responsibility for your success?

© Shawn Casemore 2015. All rights reserved.