4 Areas You Must Own To Grow
Taking ownership in life will be one of the most foreshadowing signs to growth with any individual. It really is pretty simple, you must own to grow. Ownership teaches leadership, responsibility, loyalty, trust, and much more. Simply said, OWN IT!
“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
Growing up in a house of four boys, food seemed to be scarce. Key on the “seemed to be” scarce. My mom would actually have to hide food from us when she went to the grocery store. And we are not talking about junk food either. She would hide fruit and other healthy items. I am not sure if she knew or not, but we all knew her hiding places too. After my mom returned from the grocery store, it was a race to find the food, and eat as much as we could before anyone else got to it.
But I was the youngest brother in the house. My strategy was a bit different. I learned young that there was always two people that got the blame for the food. The brother that had to respond to, “Who opened this?” and the brother who had to answer to, “Who finished this?” My strategy was simple. Never open a bag and never finish off the bag. I was such a generous brother that I let my brothers have the blame instead of me. Aren’t I nice?
What can I say, in a family of five kids, there is a lot of strategizing. Well, at least there was for me.
Ownership May Seem Insignificant, But Plays Big
Although my strategy seemed to be foolproof, there was some holes in my strategy. It was much more than food as well. My strategy was to lay low and let the blame be placed on to others. But I was just as much to blame as the next brother.
The reality is, when we fly under the radar and let others take the blame, we miss a key principle in life, relationships, and growth. We miss the principle of ownership. That is ownership leading to pain, hardships, and struggle, will also have growth closely trailing behind.
Tweet ThisWe must learn to own it.
With the food situation, I didn’t want to own that I ate the food when I wasn’t suppose to. That would have resulted trouble for me. Who wants that after all? But I missed one of the available lessons in ownership, responsibility. Sure, you might see this as a small incident, but I have seen this play out in my own life in many different ways besides food. Some were big situations of ownership and others small, but they always played big no matter the size of the circumstance.
So it has been my agenda over the past few years to change this trend. Own it!
I still have a ways to go.
4 Areas To Own Growth
Own It In Relationships
Whether you are just married, dating, or still on the market, learn the ownership principle fast. This has become a very valuable asset in my marriage. When you decide to own the attitude, tone, mistakes, bad judgement, and everything else, you are vowing to invest into your relationship. Owning responsibility however big or small will carry you deep into relational growth.
But relationships go further than just romantic relationships. Own it in coworker relationships. Own it in parenting relationships. Own it when there is a relationship involved. Your decision to take ownership tells the other person you are willing to take the blame even if it was not entirely your fault. Get over it and own it.
Own It In Finances
Everyone makes bad decisions in finances. We are all human—it happens. Own it and take responsibility. Stop wasting time trying to justify, legitimize, or even legalize your financial decisions.
For some of us, it is not the decisions we need to own, but the habits we possess in spending. Or maybe it is the handling of the money. Stop for a moment and check the person in the mirror. Is there some ownership that needs to happen?
Oh yeah, and stop blaming the government, parents, and economic situation. People do not ever mature in finances until they start owning their financial situation. No one dictated how you should budget, spend, or save. Own it.
Own It In Professional Growth
You didn’t get the promotion because of you. No, it wasn’t because of another alternative situation. It was simply because of you. Yes, that is harsh, but we need some harsh reality. Of course you will not always get the promotion, raise, or even the job, but stop putting the ownership anywhere else except for you.
You have been given the same amount of hours in the day and days in the week. How you spend that time is on you. Where you spend time will dictate where you grow. Growth is decision because time is a decision. We can grow in understanding about sports, politics, our jobs, our service, our relationships, and the list goes on. Where we put that time professionally is a choice. Our choice will determine what we want to grow in. Our professional growth is our own responsibility.
Own It In Leadership
The buck stops here. Every great coach in sports understands this sentiment. Sure the players play the game, but the coaches are the ones who set the culture, rhythm, and chemistry to the team. All of that plays out in the game.
In leadership roles, it is no different. Is your team, department, or mentorship relationship all messed up? Are you putting the blame on the members or owning it yourself? Great leaders own their team’s results. Strong leaders realize they are the catalyst to the team and the fire extinguisher. Be the leader who owns the development, growth, and maturity of your team by being the catalyzer and not the fire extinguisher.
When In Doubt, Own It
This one principle can leverage your progress in life beyond measure. Be the person who takes ownership and responsibility. Stop looking for ways to pass the buck and grasp it.
The growth that comes from ownership is a priceless investment. This is one investment you can’t pass upon.
By the way, if you are thinking of someone else as you read this article, you missed the whole point.
What do you need to own? Comment below (vvvv) one area you need to take ownership.
