If you Shift If you want to shape the future of your company, there is one crucial factor you cannot avoid. I am talking about ownership. It used to be called responsibility in the old-fashioned way, but at the end of the day, both terms have the same meaning. It's about accepting your own circumstances, focusing on what you can influence yourself, letting go of what is outside your sphere of influence and then doing everything you can to achieve the best possible results.
But what sounds so simple in theory can, as is so often the case, be quite challenging in everyday life. In this article, we therefore want to focus on the success factor of ownership (or responsibility), which you will be able to use both in your own life and in your company, Shift to be able to shape the future.
Ownership? No thanks. It's always the others' fault
When I was at school, I had a classmate who was known for being late on a regular basis. Sometimes it was only 5 minutes, but much more often half an hour. But he was never actually on time. However, he was much more reliable when it came to presenting plausible excuses. Sometimes it was the alarm clock that hadn't rung. On other occasions, he had to shovel the snow that had fallen overnight on his father's behalf. And even today, almost 40 years later, I will probably never forget how he announced after another late arrival that his sister's hamster had fallen ill. His creativity in finding excuses knew no bounds.
One day, when he once again arrived 45 minutes late, our class teacher was furious and asked: „Tom, why can't you make it to school on time for the most important exam of the year?“ „It wasn't my fault,“ was his answer, „I come from Zarpen and have to take the bus every day. The 08:00 train had engine trouble today, so I'm only here now.“ I don't know whether it was his persuasive manner or his heartbreaking puppy dog eyes, but our teacher, as always, was satisfied with the excuse. But I still remember exactly what the person sitting next to me said to me at the time: „Funny, I live in Zarpen too and I was here on time. Because I already took the bus at 07:00.“
Ownership instead of pointing the finger at others
I still often think about this moment today. For me, it is symbolic of the progressively decreasing willingness of many people to take responsibility for their behavior. Don't you find it amazing how good some of our contemporaries have become at blaming external circumstances for their results in all areas of life? How naturally they begin to actively look for reasons why something is not working? And how creative the Excuses that are always presented when something has not worked out?
The role of the guilty party is distributed extremely generously. To the bad superiors, the ungrateful employees, the lazy colleagues, the unprofessional business partners and even their own parents and siblings. And if that's not enough, then you go straight to heavier calibers and blame the current economic situation, politics, the weather or the fact that Mercury is currently in retrograde. Everything and everyone is responsible for their own results, except themselves. And this development is one of the main reasons why so many people are dissatisfied with their lives.
Change needs responsibility
Because what applies on a small scale naturally also applies on a large scale. You live a life that is basically determined, controlled and steered by other people, the state or your employer. You pursue the goals of others, fulfill the expectations of others and rely on the fact that others will take care of you. But the more you become dependent on others, the more you move away from your own dreams, Targets and expectations of your own life. And that is tragic.
After all, how can you be happy and content if other people tell you from an early age how to live, what to do and what not to do? When your helicopter parents wrap you up in absorbent cotton even as a small child, make every difficult decision for you and completely micromanage your everyday life? When all individuality and creativity is trained out of you at school so that you can play your part in society as a functioning cog? When your own job consists solely of mindlessly following instructions and the state has now penetrated into the most private corners of our lives and dictates in detail how we should live, what we are allowed to eat and how we should behave in general?
Security is just an illusion
And here's the curious thing: many people give in to this supposed security because if others determine your own life for you, then you don't have to deal with difficult situations. Decisions take risks or find solutions to problems that arise. However, this state of comfort is deceptive, because the more you become dependent in this way, the more you distance yourself from your own needs, goals and dreams.
And before you know it, you have resigned yourself completely and come to terms with the fact that a fulfilled life is only possible for a privileged minority, while all you can do yourself is function, save yourself from vacation to vacation and spend your evenings being exhausted by watching soap operas on the TV.
Does this idea sound just as daunting to you as it does to me? Then I would like to inspire you with the only possible alternative, namely to take full and comprehensive responsibility for your life. For the good things as well as the bad. For your successes, but also for the defeats. For the events that you have brought about yourself, but also for those for which you were not really responsible.
Ownership as a general principle in life
The sooner you accept the cards that fate has dealt you, the sooner you can focus on the strategy with which you want to play your hand. The conscious and irrevocable decision to take full responsibility for your past, present and future is the absolute prerequisite for a life that is characterized by meaning, purpose and fulfilment. Is it easy? Of course not. Depending on where you start from, you will face minor or major setbacks.
Old habits and unconscious imprints can be extremely stubborn. You will be doubtful, insecure and often tempted to point the finger at someone else who you can blame for your situation. But it is extremely worthwhile to persevere. After a short time, you will experience a dramatic increase in personal freedom, professional fulfillment and general independence. And there is probably nothing better than the intense feeling that automatically sets in when you have found your inner center and are living a life in harmony with your dreams, values and needs.
But enough words. It's time to get down to action. Are you ready to make the decision to take full responsibility for your life? And are you prepared to stand up more than you fall down on the path that follows? Wonderful, because I can't make that choice for you. What I can do, however, is to accompany you on your individual path to more balance and fulfillment in the best possible way. And I suggest my home in northern Germany as the starting point for this journey.
Rüm Hart - Klaar Kiming - The perfect metaphor for ownership
The perfect motto for the topic of responsibility comes from Schleswig-Holstein. The region between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, where you have a chat with your neighbor, the word „Moin“ is used as a universal greeting and you only talk about a real storm when the sheep no longer have curls. The motto I'm talking about is „Rüm Hart - Klaar Kiming“ and is attributed to the North Frisian captains who had to steer their ships through rough seas, high waves and heavy storms hundreds of years ago. Translated, it means something like „wide heart - clear horizon“. The word "Kiming" is derived from the "Kimme", which refers to the line between the sea and the sky and has always been seen as a magical place that stands for wanderlust, openness and a spirit of discovery.
And isn't that exactly what we currently need most in our everyday personal lives, in business and indeed in life as a whole? On the one hand, trust, transparency and empathy in our dealings with the people around us. And on the other hand, a clear vision, thinking outside the box and a permanent openness to new experiences. Would you agree with me that the world doesn't need any more vested interests who focus on their ego, cling to the past and try to maximize their personal advantage with a comfortable „carry on“ strategy?
I have a clear opinion on this and maintain that what we need above all in the current times are people who have a yearning for new horizons, but who never forget where they come from. People who do not rest on the laurels of the past, but set sail for new shores in good time. Who do not see new ways of thinking, ideas and paths as a threat, but as a great opportunity to become even better, to grow and to achieve their own goals. Who take responsibility not only for themselves, but for their entire crew.
The prerequisite for being able to live the motto „Rüm Hart - Klaar Kiming“ every single day is clarity. About where you come from, where you want to go, why and for what reasons, and of course what possible ways to get there might look like. You will get the most valuable answers when you combine a wide, warm heart with a sharp mind. If you are open to new ideas, opinions and approaches and at the same time rely on powerful values, positive beliefs and a positive Mindset can fall back on. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to invite you to reflect a little on your innermost needs, your boldest goals and your craziest dreams. The greater your clarity, the easier it will be for you to take the next step, namely to consciously and fully take ownership of the following areas:
Your current life situation
No matter where you are today, how satisfied you are and how hard life may have been on you. As soon as you decide to stop defining yourself as a victim of external circumstances and take responsibility for the status quo, you will suddenly have completely new opportunities to shape your life.
Your success
Perhaps the most important question you should ask yourself is: „What does success mean to me?“ The vast majority of people follow the suggestions of the media, influencers on social media or the advertising industry's messages that Success automatically equate with going faster, higher and further, with luxury clothes, expensive cars and the constant pursuit of money, status and power. If that's exactly what you dream of, that's wonderful.
However, if you realize that you expect something completely different from your life, then let go of these definitions as quickly as possible. Not everyone has to become a millionaire, a superstar or a successful entrepreneur. Always remember: it's your life and only you make the rules. Especially when it comes to your own personal definition of success. The only yardstick I recommend you use from now on is the following question: „Am I happy?“ Because nothing else matters.
Your values
Values are my absolute favorite topic. Because I know about their power. Because they are the basis for all decisions. And because our daily behavior is always a direct reflection of our most important values. It is therefore worth consciously determining and defining your own core values. And not because they are currently „in“, socially accepted or desirable for a certain social environment.
In the long run, this only leads to frustration, dissatisfaction and the gnawing feeling that you are moving further and further away from yourself. If, on the other hand, you take full responsibility for the values that are really important to you, you will not only communicate congruently, but also have an infallible compass at your side that will always serve you faithfully.
Your goals and dreams
How many people around you do you know who only took up their profession because their parents wanted them to? Who only embarked on their career as a lawyer, dentist or industrial clerk because it has always been a family tradition? And who are deeply unhappy because they would much rather be a chef, artist or actress? But putting your own goals and dreams in a drawer just to fulfill the expectations of others inevitably leads to a life in a mental no-man's land.
You're not really unhappy, but you're not happy either. The once blazing inner fire has gone out and instead of living passionately, you just function and exist. Fortunately, however, it is never too late and you can always make the decision to take full responsibility for your goals and dreams from now on.
Shaping change - it won't work without ownership
And there are other areas for which you should do exactly the same. For your beliefs, your strategies, your decisions, your thoughts, your health, your finances, your relationships, your communication, your career and, of course, your future. And yes, I am aware that this is quite a lot at once. So let me take the pressure off you right away. As soon as you take responsibility for your life, something fascinating, almost magical, will happen. You will experience an unexpected feeling of personal freedom. Because your inner values are suddenly in harmony with your outer behavior. Because you free yourself from external expectations and listen to your own needs. Because you are suddenly leading a life that really deserves the name. And isn't that what it's all about every single day?
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