Personal Responsibility Leads to Success
Ashley N. Smith
GEN200
17 December 2012

Personal Responsibility Leads to Success

Personal responsibility is taking accountability for your actions and facing the consequences for those actions. Even though it is not required to succeed in life, personal responsibility is something that one needs to be a truthful and responsible person. “Responsibility is the hallmark of the fully integrated, fully functioning human being” (Tracy, 1). Taking personal responsibility is the difference between adulthood and childhood. This is what ultimately shows maturity. Personal responsibility leads to college success, better employment, and a greater satisfaction with life. If a person takes personal responsibility in college, they will have better success with their higher education goals. A report from the Association of American Colleges and Universities shows how educating responsible learners impacts the society past campus boundaries (Hersh, 6). Personal responsibility directly leads to college success because they will need to show up to class religiously to get good grades. They also need to do their own homework to learn more effectively, to also do better in college. He or she needs to be dedicated enough to study at least two hours per credit hour to ensure their success in college, and all of this takes personal responsibility. Better employment opportunities also come from personal responsibility. Personal responsibility directly leads to success, achievement, motivation, happiness, and self-actualization in the workplace. Personal responsibility in the workforce is based on the principle that employees have high moral values. One should take credit for your their work, not someone else’s hard work and sacrifices. Most important, employees who want better opportunities at work should never fall asleep while at work! If someone wants to have greater satisfaction with their lives, they should have personal responsibility for themselves. According to Duggan, people are responsible for their own health and wellness. If they are sick, they also caused that to happen as well, in some shape or form (18). He or she should know that they have done the best that they could if they are personally responsible for themselves. This also brings about a clear mind and a clear conscious because they know that they have earned everything that they have. What is theirs is rightfully theirs; he or she does not owe anyone anything. This also leads to a greater outlook on life. The most successful people in life commit to taking more personal responsibility for their lives and careers. According to Bilanich, when someone commits to taking personal responsibility for their life and career, they build their self confidence (1). The more responsibility someone takes, the more their self confidence grows. When they commit to taking personal responsibility for their life and career, they act, which is unlike inaction and procrastination which tends to kill it. Inaction and procrastination are like weeds, once started they are hard to stop growing. The more personal responsibility one takes for their life, the more in control of their life they are. This also means that they are freer, especially in their own mind, to make decisions and to do whatever it is that they might want to do. There is a direct relationship between personal responsibility, control, freedom, and happiness. It has been found that the happiest people in the world are those people who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is because they have accepted personal responsibility for every single part of their lives. The act of accepting personal responsibility calms the mind and clears one’s vision. It soothes one’s emotions and enables them to think more positively and constructively. It most often gives a person insight into what they should do to resolve the situation. In conclusion, I think that everyone should have personal responsibility in their lives. I plan to practice personal responsibility in my education by getting my participation points in weekly, making sure all of my homework is turned in on time, and that I participate within my team when we have assignments due. But most important, personal responsibility is a lifelong process that always needs to be in the back of my mind. Everyone should aim to develop a good character. “Character is composed of self-esteem, self-discipline, the ability to delay gratification, and the willingness to accept full responsibility for your life and everything in it” (Tracy, 6).

References
Bilanich, B. (2010). Personal Responsibility, Self Confidence and Success. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Bud_Bilanich
Duggan, R. M. (1991). Personal Responsibility for Wellness: Time, Movement, and Function from the Perspective of Traditional Acupuncture. Journal Of Traditional Acupuncture, 13(1), 18. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds
Hersh, R. (2005). Fostering Personal & Social Responsibility on College & University Campuses. Liberal Educcation, 91(3). 6. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds
Tracy, B. (2011). Taking Personal Responsibility. Retrieved from http://www.successmethods.org/brian_tracy-a19.html