Whatever You Do in Life, Own It

We often make excuses for why we have not done something. Rather than owning a policy, we blame the company. Rather than having our office or home the way we want it, we point to all the things we have to do and say there is not enough time. We’ll get to it as soon as the game is done, the show is over, or the weather gets better. We need to own what we do.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a student in school, domestic engineer, or work for a company, or yourself, whatever you do you own. This is true whether you want to possess it or not. Whatever you have and whatever you do reflects directly back to you. Everything from the aesthetics to the dots on the I’s and crosses on the T’s belong to you. Own it.

It is easy to blame others and point fingers. The problem is you cannot correct others unless they really want to be changed. The only person you can directly affect is yourself. So, is there an avenue for a change? Yes, you can own it.

It is pretty straightforward to make changes for the better. Understand what you can change, what is beyond your control to change and how you can best go about changing a particular problem. Most changes start with a smile on the face. Smiles don’t cost anything, and quite often they make people wonder what you’re up to. Attitude frequently does more to raise everyone’s spirits than anything else you can think to do.

The next thing is to be genuine and to care. If you really don’t care, why are you there? Were you standing there waiting for a bus and everything popped up around you? Did you need money and end up in a job found to be insufferable? Did you chase a dream that turned into a nightmare? Only you know the answers. And only you can make it better.

Before you tell me I’m right and head off to HR to quit the job, I have to give you a warning. Moving jobs is trying to change something from the outside and rarely works. If you move to a different position, you may end up in the same rut a year or two from now. To actually fix the problem you need to work from the inside out. From the inside of yourself, your thoughts and ideas, out to the office, the home, the customers, or whatever else you see that can be done better.

I believe you will find that working from the inside out has a more significant impact and is easier than you think.   Just own it.

Thanks for being with me today I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof