In his widely popular book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill encourages his readers to recite the following daily (this is an excerpt from the longer page-long script):  “I am the master of my own earthly destiny just as surely as I have the power to control my own thoughts.  I may influence, direct, and eventually control my own environment making my life what I want it to be.”

This mindset captures how successful people view themselves and the control they know they have over their own lives.  In sum, it is the opposite of the victim mentality.  It is void of personal excuses.  It seems like when things don’t go our way – when we miss an assignment at work, when we let a friend down, or are late to the meeting, what do we tend to do?  We start rattling off excuses.  I didn’t get the email about the assignment, this is not my area of expertise, no one told me it was Mike’s birthday, his birthday doesn’t pop up on Facebook, I was stuck in traffic on my way to the meeting.  But blame-shifting only causes resentment in others and is not fulfilling or rewarding.

What do successful people appear to do that others don’t?  They take full ownership of their actions and environment.  They take responsibility for the assignment that was not executed properly.  This extreme sense of ownership sends the signal to your surroundings, including yourself, that you are in control of your own actions.  You are in control of your fate.  There are no excuses.  You have the power to control your own environment.  As John Wooden said, “things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.”  The point is, when we take extreme ownership of our own lives and recognize that we are in control, when we take away the excuses – we will have a much greater sense of peace which will ultimately lead to greater and more frequent success.

Knowing that you are in control does not mean that things will always go according to plan.  When things are not perfect, it is a good time to take a deep breath, reflect on what you could have done differently, and remind yourself that it is a learning experience and ultimately making you better.  Do not make excuses.  Take ownership of the situation and move on.  Have you ever met someone who always seems to have bad stuff happening to them?  They act like the world is out to get them and they just cannot seem catch a break.  This person is full of excuses, is caught up in their own pattern of blame-shifting and is simply not taking ownership.

While tough times are inevitable, ultimately, you are in control of your own actions, and you are in control of where you will end up.  Take ownership of your actions, mistakes, and life.  The only obstacle between you and success is you.

Recommended Book: Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin