Lacking A Sense Of Responsibility Is A Dead End Road

If you were asked the question "are you a responsible or irresponsible person?” what would your answer be?  Your response can actually be quite revealing.  And the right answer is a serious one if your intention is to experience personal and career success.

When you commit to a project or task, do you believe it is important to follow through until it is properly completed?  Or, does your accountability only last as long as you feel the task is fun or new?

If the responsibility you take on only seems to work until the initial excitement wears off, it is a pretty safe bet you have a habit of eventually being irresponsible with most tasks.  And, if that’s true, that behavior often bleeds over to your interaction with people.  You can consider this irresponsibility as a red flag that your actions are simply not going to lead to long-term successful outcomes.  That is, unless you truly decide to change your behavior when it comes to fulfilling responsibility.

The person who sees commitment as a responsibility to complete a task, even when confronted with obstacles, certainly has a greater likelihood of experiencing successful results.  This individual understands what it means to be accountable for their actions. 

The difference between acting responsibly and being irresponsible usually comes down to a person’s understanding of commitment and adaptability. 

Where do you fit in with the following definitions?

Commitment:  
a pledge or promise to do something (for oneself or for others)

Adaptable:  
able to adjust oneself to new or changed circumstances

Dependable:  
that can be depended on; trustworthy; reliable

Responsible:  
involving accountability, obligation, or duties

Irresponsible:  
lacking a sense of responsibility; unreliable

If you are at a crossroads about what responsibility means to you, carefully consider the results you ultimately want to achieve.  The actions you take are observed by people who can support you if they feel you are worthy of their time and effort.  You do not live in a vacuum.  In other words, people who gain the success they want generally do not accomplish it alone. 

Also, there can be a strong connection with self-esteem and honestly being a responsible person.  Do you want to be the kind of person that you can depend on when tasks need to be done?  Do you want others to see you as being dependable?  If not, your journey toward success will be a constant struggle.