Most people want to be responsible so their friends and family can count on them. Being responsible means that you can be trusted to make the right decisions and act appropriately without supervision. When you become accountable for your actions and behaviors, you begin to develop a positive reputation. Being trusted by loved ones will make you feel more capable, which in turn will lead to higher self-esteem and self-worth.
While it may seem difficult or tedious to be responsible all of the time, look at it as something you can work towards. Responsibility is not just something you should display at work, but rather a quality that you have developed overtime. It will help things run more efficiently and organized. Here are some habits you can start to implement to become more responsible!
1) Don't Make Excuses
Whether an excuse is stemming from a fear of doing something or wanting to neglect your current responsibilities, the way to get over an excuse is by reconnecting with how important your goal or project is to you. If you say that you are going to save up money, commit to that goal and make the appropriate steps to do so. Think clearly about what you are able to do, not what you cannot do. It is always better to be honest about something than to create an excuse.
2) Organize Your Life
Being responsible is directly linked to being organized. When you become organized, you are able to keep yourself on track. You will also find that once you start to organize, the easier it gets. You can get a planner, agenda book, calendar app, or post-it notes - whatever will help keep you on task! Create an organizational system that organizes your schedule, goals, personal plans, and obligations.
3) Be On Time
Being on time is one habit that reduces stress and improves relationships at the same time. We are often late because we simply haven't prioritized punctuality. We haven't deemed it important enough to show up at the time we were supposed to be there. Sometimes we think it just isn't that big of a deal. You will find that giving yourself extra time to complete a task or arrive somewhere will vastly improve your life. It will show others that you value their time and that you are trustworthy and dependable.
4) Cancel Plans Ahead Of Time
If you want to be seen as responsible, you should not wait until last minute to cancel your plans. Canceling last minute usually comes from not wanting to hurt other’s feelings or deciding what you want to do, but it is better to be honest. If you are in a situation where you are not able to keep your plans or need time to yourself, be honest and tell the other person ahead of time. They will appreciate the heads up.
5) Manage Your Emotions
The ability to realize, readily accept, and successfully manage emotions is known as the emotion management skill. Emotion management is important because the change in your thoughts and feelings is what helps change your emotions, preventing from reactive outbursts. To work with a therapist who can help you learn this skill click here.
6) Don't Complain
Chronic complaining sees each situation as an opportunity to find fault. Eventually, this drains pleasure. Chronic complaining affects mood by producing a negative mental state. Chronic complaining will cause you to fall into a perpetual cycle of finding fault, feeling negative, and then being unable to face the next situation with an open mind. Eventually, the capacity for feeling joy is compromised. If you can take steps to change the things that you do not like, you will find yourself more in control of your life.
7) Admit Your Mistakes
People who are responsible tend to admit their mistakes and learn from them. The moment you realize that you have done something wrong, own up to it. People will be less likely to get mad at you and more likely to respect you and want to work towards fixing the issue alongside you.
8) Don't Procrastinate
Procrastinating for too long will eventually leave you with not enough time to complete all of your tasks. One of the main reasons why we procrastinate is because we want to avoid the pain of doing the work. In many cases, we overestimate the pain we will actually be feeling. Start with the task you least want to do and you will find yourself less stressed and more dependable.