There are a few things that rile me and one of them is people blaming other people for their results.
I was reminded of this when I read a public statement by Peloton the other day about their quarter three earnings.
To paraphrase, they didn’t make the revenue they projected and they blamed Apple because of the changes Apple made to how companies can advertise on their platform.
The details aren’t that important, really.
The point is that Peloton didn’t take responsibility for their part in missing their sales figures.
Anytime we fail to take responsibility for our own results, and start blaming someone else for our performance, we are no longer in charge of what we get in life.
Now, I know that there are some exceptions to this.
Racism in America, for example, makes it pretty damn hard for people of color to get what they need, let alone what they deserve, and to feel in charge of their own lives and opportunities.
And there are plenty of examples of people of color who have risen above all odds, holding themselves personally responsible for their success.
I’m not in favor of bootstrap ideas or myths. I know that isn’t the reality for many.
But if we are privileged and fortunate enough (regardless of skin color) to be educated, to run our own business, to have access to all we need, then we shouldn’t give someone else the power over our successes OR failures.
I know that our culture and society has modeled for us repeatedly to find the external force to blame.
The idea that we should fault someone else has been ingrained in us. We, as a culture, lack personal accountability and responsibility.
But we need to rise above all of that.
We need to take a look in the mirror and ask ourselves, what are we not doing that could help our company grow.
I know it can be hard to face ourselves, to admit that we didn’t do something, but we have to. We have to keep control.
While having the weight of our entire business can feel like a heavy load to carry, especially if we think “It’s all on me,” it can actually be liberating.
If we crush our sales goals, knowing we were the sole reason we did, then it becomes “That was all me! I did that!”.
Isn’t that exciting? To think it’s all on us and that nothing is standing in our way except ourselves?
We have to take radical responsibility for what we are or aren’t doing.
We are in control of what happens to our business.
We are in control of our results.
Here’s the 3-2-1 on radical responsibility inside your business.
3 TRUTHS
- No one else is in control of our results. No matter what external forces there are, we are responsible for what does and doesn’t happen in our business.
- When we understand our money stories and our numbers, no external factors can derail us from getting the results we want because we are in control.
- Radical responsibility can feel uncomfortable because all the choices and results fall on us. There is no one else to blame. But, when we choose it, we reclaim our power and control in our lives and businesses.
2 ACTIONS
- Think about one outcome you want to see from your business (more connections, more time with your family, more money, etc.)
- Determine what you are and aren’t doing to get that result.
1 QUESTION
- Where am I passing blame in my life or business?
Learning how to be in control of our emotions around money is something I teach inside Procedures for Prosperity™. We dive deep into my EMBR Methodology to help you identify what emotions are being triggered and how to take radical responsibility for them in order to improve your monetary results. If you want a better outcome in the next quarter than you had in the last one, sign up for a Prosperity Call: https://www.proceduresforprosperity.com/prosperitycall
This money conversation continues on YouTube. Check out What Peloton Got Wrong About their Quarterly Earnings and make sure to subscribe while you’re there.
To your impact and legacy,
