Let’s make this personal responsibility week.
What does it mean to be responsible for yourself? How can you practice that this week?
Here are some examples:
- Don’t share information you can’t verify. If you want to have a discussion about something pre-verification or as part of the verification process, first try to disprove your own bias about the information. That requires knowing yourself to know your bias and doing at least some work to show multiple perspectives on the information. If you have an argument in one direction, try to “steel man” the opposing argument.
- For every issue in the world you shake your fist at and yell at moon about, stop and look inward to what you can change about your own life regarding this issue and what efforts you can make to help solve these problems instead of just complaining about them. We don’t have to look far to see issues with government, financial, medical, and educational systems, for example. What are you personally working on to fix these things?
- As parents, it’s easy to get really frustrated at the crazy things our kids do that annoy us. Let’s go deeper and figure out what fear is attached to that annoyance and start discussing those fears openly with them. Dealing with our own attachments and avoidance while training them to do the same can change the world in one generation.
- For each complaint about our present state of reality, let’s imagine at least two potential solutions. Let’s dig into the weaknesses of each solution to appreciate the nuances and complexities of modern life and how sometimes, the cure is worse than the disease. Sometimes our complaints reveal our own ignorance about the detailed responsibilities involved and the many unintended consequences of action.
- For everything you don’t like about your life, come up with a handful of plans and possible steps forward this week, month, year and handful of years to change those things. Write them down, if that helps. Some benefit from creating measurable, time-boxed goals as well.
These are just some ideas I had about personal responsibility while starting my day this Monday morning.
What additional thoughts do you have on personal responsibility?
What would you add to the list?
Times are weird. It’s important to know ourselves and what it is we are meant to do, or more accurately, meant to be.
I love this. You're on the same vibe as @nathanmars who has posed a #hivechat version of this question for tomorrow.
I sometimes try to see myself in the future with the consequences of doing nothing now - Do I want that? If I do nothing and no one "out there" does either, what will that mean? Usually it nudges me to then ask what can I DO, NOW, to move me closer to where I feel I need-want to be....
I agree with your ideas about personal responsibility. Time to time we need this type of inspiring posts.