Health, relationships, pursuits, and financial success. These are all areas of life in which we need to be fully responsible.
Taking ownership is recognizing this and acting on it.
These three areas of life will not flourish by accident. We need to be purposeful. We need to prioritize, set goals, plan, and carry out our plan, to move to higher levels. This requires ownership.
Life is a series of choices. This or that?
Anytime we make a choice, we will have a consequence. Unfortunately, in the things of value, there is not an immediate consequence to subtle negligence. If we don’t make good food choices today or we don’t exercise today, we don’t notice a negative impact in the big picture. But neglect, or laziness, in priorities has an accumulative effect. Because they also can become habits.
The accumulation of habitual poor choices in these areas leads to major concesquences. Taking ownership is to consciously realize that each day makes a difference. I know the converse of a bad choice is often also true. If we choose to eat well today and exercise today, we don’t notice much of a big picture difference either. But we are in the process of creating positive habits, that when accumulated lead to fruitful long term results.
If you own a business, you tend to think this way all the time. Because so much is at stake and that stake is tangible and pressing on you.
Take this same approach in all areas. You own your body. You are responsible for its health. Take care of it and it will serve you well in all areas of your life. You own your financial picture. Take purposeful action every day, and you will be fruitful. And you own your part in every relationship. Nurture them and they will flourish.
There are things in life that we cannot control that impact these things. But that doesn’t mean we throw our hands up…it means we bear down and push through. That’s what people who own their actions and results do.
As you become habitually diligent in the important areas, you will notice that life doesn’t “happen” as much in these areas as you thought…and when it does, it is easier to deal with.
Life is good. If you wake up in the morning you are blessed with a day. YOUR day. You are the one who decides what action you take in this day. To take ownership is to be purposeful in using the gift of a day, in the way that best serves the areas I spoke of above.
