Personal responsibility is the honorable thoughts and actions that govern wellbeing. It gives people direction in life. Without it, individuals would be wandering carelessly in the world giving no thought to finances, relationships, or a job. We would be feckless. This paper will touch on how personal responsibility should be taught to children, how it can be used toward college success, and how to apply it to the work environment.
How personal responsibility should be taught to children
First, personal responsibility is something that needs to be taught to children. Parents should give their children chores to have them pull their own weight. They should take out the trash every week, wash dishes, mow the lawn; do something of importance that helps out around the home. Children have wastes so they should empty the trash cans. They dirty the dishes with food, so they should wash them. They need to be taught to take of their home, so they need to mow or do some gardening. Of course, the little ones probably will not like it because it will take them out of their comfort zone, but it is all about teaching them values and character. Parents should do this so their children can learn personal responsibility and be prepared for when they get out on their own.
Furthermore, personal responsibility can be taught to children by giving them allowances. It teaches them to save money and how to budget. As soon as a child is old enough to know that he or she needs money in exchange for things wanted, that is the time to start an allowance. With that, parents should discuss what the allowance will cover, consequences of wastefulness, and when to give to charity. Children need to be taught that the parents will pay for the basics that include food, clothes, and shelter, but everything else like candy, video games, and movie tickets should taken care of by them. Parents should decide if giving an allowance is going to be a weekly or monthly occurrence. Preferably, if it is a preschooler you have, you should start out giving an allowance weekly. $1 to $2 should be fine. As a child gets older, you could give him or her a monthly allowance. That could be $10-$15. That will teach them to save. Hopefully, if all is done right, by the time the child is a teenager he or she will have a job or be a young entrepreneur and can be weaned off the money of their parents a little. It is important to note that an allowance should not be given in exchange for doing chores. Again, an allowance teaches children to save money and how to budget.
How personal responsibility can be used toward college success
Second, personal responsibility should be used toward college success. Through the habit of turning in work in elementary, junior high, and high school, students should be ready to make it in college. High school teachers always tell students that no one will remind them to take notes, study, and be on time for class in college. Those teachers are right. It is the student’s responsibility to succeed in college. Then, there is the temptation of parties in college. Everybody always says it is acceptable to have a good time in college, but do not overdo it. They are right as well. Students are there to learn, not act like a cast member on MTV’s Jersey Shore. Students that are even accepted in college should be responsible enough to stay away from drinking, drugs, and casual sex. Those are all dead-ends in a college career. As an adult, as noted by Stockdale and Brockett, "individuals assume ownership for their thoughts and actions." (“Development of the PRO-SDLS: A Measure of Self-Direction in Learning Based on the Personal Responsibility Orientation Model.,” 2011, p. 3). This article dealt with studies of undergraduate students and proves correct. Therefore, if a student stays in the books, writes prolific papers, and attends classes regularly, he or she will walk out of college with a degree or two or three. They say it pays to learn and those people who know that, could not be more right.
Personal responsibility also relates to setting goals in college. The first goal a student should set as soon as they step on campus is to finish school. Unless there are personal family problems, he or she takes ill, or perhaps win the lottery, earning a degree should be first priority. Step one of setting a goal to complete college should be to set a goal in the first place. This could be as simple as trying to get a particular grade point average. Step two is to make a plan of action. Identify the steps to achieve your goal. These could be called mini-goals. Your plan of action should have deadlines for each mini-goal that will lead you on. Step three is to follow your plan to your goal. If you make your deadlines, that will help you follow and achieve the larger goal of earning that high grade point average. Also, you should not hesitate to modify your many goals if obstacles get in the way. That is just part of life. Regroup and move on. Step four is to reset your goals to remain motivated. When you do not reset goals, feelings of achievement can stop. Procrastination and frustration could set in once that takes place. Ultimately, if you follow these four steps you will walk out of your university with a degree and have more than a high grade point average to show for it. You will have an excellent career.
How personal responsibility can apply to the work environment
Once done with college, a person moves on to get a job. Personal responsibility moves along with them. From attending classes regularly in college, a person should learn to be on time for work. It makes the boss happy, of course, but it lets everyone know that you value what you do. People fortunate enough to land a good job should wake up at the crack of dawn to dress presentable, eat a good breakfast, and be ahead of traffic. It all pays off in the long run. Working as an engineer is a good example of how it all pays off. According to one scholarly article, engineers are some of the most highest paid workers after attending a four year college (Stevens, O'Connor, Garrison, Jocuns, and Amos, 2008). They wake up at 3 am to be at their job that wants them there at 6. The three hour slot gives them time to have their favorite cereal, watch the news for the weather, and beat the morning rush hour. That is why most engineers stay on the same job for over 25 years.
Furthermore, people like engineers do not just work, but they live life as well. They have a family. They have healthy marriages, good kids, and a comfortable lifestyle. This is called work-life balance. Work-life balanced is defined by Bloomberg Businessweek as how you spend your time working and relaxing, recognizing that what you do in one fuels your energy for the other (Morgenstern, 2008). With this you feel a sense of accomplishment after working your best and are able to go home and relax into the rest of your day. Hopefully, these working individuals will continue the cycle of helping their kids by assigning chores, setting rules to take care of the home, and helping with homework to lead them to be responsible members of society. It comes full circle.
Conclusion
In conclusion, personal responsibility gives people direction in life for three main reasons. First, it teaches responsibility to children. Second, it can be used toward college success. But most importantly, personal responsibility should be applied to the work environment.