God created humans to be responsible individuals. This truth is manifest by how we’re usually happiest when we have responsibility and take care of it, such as handling a job well or being a loving parent. In contrast, irresponsibility usually leads to blame, which leads to conflict by blaming others or blaming ourselves.
Where there’s blame, there’s shame. And, shame shuts people down in addition to destroying their future. In other words, a person will never reach his or her full potential by shirking responsibility. Excusing and blaming is like running in place – you wind up exhausted and you’ve gone nowhere.
This universal principle also applies to marketing a book, non-profit, or business. Responsible people realize that the success of their marketing plan lies primarily in their own hands, rather than someone else. For instance, I’ve met irresponsible authors who blamed low books sales on their publisher. I’ve seen non-profit executives blame donors for not giving enough money. I’ve heard business owners blame the economy or the government for their lack of growth. It’s not my problem, it’s everyone else’s fault.
Avoid falling into the mental trap of blaming others. You’ll become happier and a more successful marketer when you take responsibility for your business goals. Try looking at marketing as a cherished responsibility to show how you can help other people. Are you holding yourself accountable to teach, inspire, and satisfy?
If you’re dissatisfied with your marketing results, listen to any blame talk that’s running through your thoughts. Be honest and identify how much of the problem is attributed to you. Then, make a conscious effort to take ownership of the issue and take responsibility for making progress. You can always go to the extreme levels of blame and say, “The Devil made me do it.” But, then again, God created humans to be responsible individuals.
