“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility,” said Eleanor Roosevelt (Good Reads, 2013). The term personal responsibility is broad and many have their own definition for responsibility of themselves and their actions. When someone applies the term personal responsibility to his or her actions, it helps clarify what goals are most important to he or she and how he or she makes decisions, and what he or she value in life.
Goals
Personal responsibility is the fact of acquiring the duty to deal with their own issues and taking control over them and the outcome (Merriam Webster, 2013). To achieve effectively personal responsibility he or she must hold themselves accountable for what they are trying to accomplish and their actions. Many factors contribute to a person's success, but the main one is setting personal goals which are important to oneself. A study of elementary school students which was not known for good grades; implemented an in-school mentoring program to help these students set goals. The study showed that six students (37%) tried constantly to set goals or most of the time did, and the remaining 63% set goals very little of the time. Goal setting can be a difficult process, but do not let it discourage one from experiencing success. Some people may say that setting goals puts them at risk for failure. This is an understandable point. I personally get frustrated when I set my goals and am let down by the result. Whether it was not receiving the grade I wanted on the test I took last Friday, or not going back to school earlier so that I could already be in a rewarding career. The fact is, I have not given up and know I can do only better. I know I am not an excellent test taker; all I can do is know I studied as hard and long as I could and I tried taking the test. Trying is better than receiving a zero on the assignment. As far as going back to college, I am writing this paper for a college class. I again, did not give up. It is just taking me longer to achieve my goal. Studies have shown that if one writes their goals down on a sheet of paper, they are more likely to accomplish their goals and earn nine times more income than those who do not write their goals down (Fealkoff, 2011). Goal setting keeps you on track for success and I use it every day.
Decisions
Holding yourself accountable for your actions, thoughts, and words means you are in charge of your success. As a human we have three decision-making processes; predecision, decision, and post-decision with each consisting of partial decisions (Zeleny, n.d.). We all make decisions that will affect our lives and success. Before making the wise choice to continue my education by returning to college, I had many bumps in the road and people to think about. I am a wife and a mother of a toddler and needed to be certain that his needs were met as I went back to school. Before I attended school, I had a hectic schedule. I had very little time and my family. I chose to continue my education despite that I had a full schedule. I want to better, not only myself but also my family's life as well. Time management and self-discipline will help achieve the goals for success during and after college. Self-discipline plays a big part of how I must take personal responsibility in my time management. Effective time management will help keep me on track when papers are due. I cannot blame God, my husband, my child, or my employer for making my assignment late. I can only blame myself for not using my time wisely. Keeping a schedule of my week, and sticking to it, plays a role in my success as well. Without a schedule, it could affect my chance at experiencing success.
Values
Instilling your ethics along with your actions is another key to success. I fully believe in the saying, "What you get out of life is what you put into