Fondest Dreams

The Consequences Of Not Accepting Responsibility

The Consequences of Not Accepting Responsibility

Over time, failing to accept responsibility has severe consequences. First and foremost, it has a devastating effect on your own mind and heart. When you know you have failed to take responsibility for something that you should, it’ll begin to bother you, to eat at you, little by little. Pretty soon, you’ll feel very small inside.

That may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s the truth. Taking responsibility for your own actions makes life work better. Remember, self-respect is the worth or value you place on your own life. Therefore, one of the consequences of continuingly failing to accept personal responsibility is that you eventually guarantee that you’ll view your life as having little to no real value.

“A man can do what he ought to do; and when he says he cannot, it’s because he will not.”

This provides value to your life – in your own eyes as well as the eyes of others. There’s a good chance that when you avoid accepting personal responsibility, someone will know that you’ve failed in this way. In other words, some other person may know that you’re responsible for the wrongdoing or poor choice, and when they see you fail to accept responsibility, they’ll lose all respect for you. If this happens on a frequent basis, you’ll never gain the respect of others that you hope to have one day.

Accepting Responsibility is a Serious Matter

Sometimes, especially when we’re young, we don’t always see the long-term effects of our behavior. But, make no mistake, accepting responsibility – both personal and indirect – is a major factor in receiving the respect and admiration of those around you. Accepting responsibility is not only the right thing to do, but it’ll pay more long-term dividends than you can now imagine. 

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.

Here are a few things that you can do to fully accept responsibility for doing the right things:

Make a Responsibility List…Identify and list all of the primary responsibilities that you have;

Review this List Daily…Remind yourself of the things that you need to do today in order to remain on time and on schedule;

Discuss the List with Others…Show your mom, dad or guardian the list of what you’re working to accomplish;

Update Your List…This list will change, things will get completed, and new responsibilities will develop so keep your list current at all times, and

Save Your Old Lists…As you update your list and make a new or revised one, save your old lists and go back and review them from time to time. This will help you understand the benefits of this responsibility list process and gain a sense of accomplishment for what you’ve done.