Complete and Total Personal Ownership Is the Only Path to Success

Every day I learn something new. I find an interesting podcast or Youtube video or have a great conversation with a friend or new friend. Or whenever I read a newsletter. It’s no different today. I am a fan of Justin Waller, the blue collar baller and he wrote something that stood out to me. 

“If it’s not your fault, you can’t fix it.

I learned that in the steel business.

You think guys show up on time?

They don’t.

You think projects run smoothly?

They don’t.

Men drink too much, make mistakes, fight in hotel rooms, and cost you contracts.

And here’s the truth,

If I let myself believe that was their fault… I was done.

Because the moment you put the blame on someone else, you hand them all the power.

But if I say, “It’s on me”?

Now I can do something about it.

I can fix the hiring process.

I can change the training.

I can track back and find where I failed.

That’s how you win.

Not by crying about circumstances.

Not by blaming other people.

But by making everything your fault.

See, accountability isn’t a burden.

It’s the only way to keep control.

And control is how you survive in business.

So the next time something falls apart, I want you to stop yourself from pointing the finger.

Instead say, “This one’s on me.”

And then fix it.

That’s the difference between conquerors and victims”

I think my lack of success was not due to a bad work ethic but a bad attitude to life. Avoiding hard problems, avoiding problems and conflict. That is the way of the weak man. But I think the biggest piece is really taking personal responsibility. It’s so much easier to blame your parents, society, your boss or whoever instead of where the finger should actually be pointed. To yourself. It’s always on you. No excuses. 

I learned this the hard way. But once I started taking responsibility for everything, I was able to tackle the problems I was dealt. Life got better in general. You earn your way to the next level of problems. To new levels of personal growth. Almost like in a video game. So for all the men out there, don’t complain, this is a privilege. You will always have problems. It’s up to you on how big a problem and how to deal with them. The world rewards the problem solvers.