When I first started Principal Financial, and being new to the world of business ownership, I decided that I needed to go and get some help in understanding what I needed to do to ensure my business was successful.

Over the last few years I’ve found out that learning about running a business is very much an ongoing journey, especially as my skills needs to develop and change as my business is developing and changing. However I did spend a day in the early years of my business which provided an interesting insight into an attitude which works for me…

I was sitting in a room with 10 or so other business owners who were in a diverse range of businesses. There were sole traders and owners of companies which employed a a couple of hundred people. There were owners of business who manufacture, provide a service or sell a product.  They were all here to learn how to improve their business in one way or another.

Whilst I gained loads of knowledge throughout the day I still find myself (nearly 4 years later) thinking about the first 10 minutes of the day.

The trainer for the day came in and said something interesting.

“Right” he said “For the rest of the day I want this to be a ‘no moan’ zone. Everything we talk about I want you to take ownership for. I know there are plenty of times when ‘stuff’ gets in the way but for today and if you want to participate we are going to focus on what’s within you’re control as opposed to outside of your control.”

Immediately and tangibly the dynamic in the room changed and I believe that the reason the day was incredibly productive. Part of this was due to the fact that we were all focused on ensuring you have as much impact on the aspects of our businesses we can control.

Doing this consistently in our lives (and when it comes to our own finances) can be tough. I know that I’m guilty of making excuses and have to consistently try to ensure I’m using my own internal dialogue to stop playing the “Blame Game” and take control of our own lives.

But the fact is the reason we do it is because…

Short term, It’s easier to blame someone else when it comes to your own financial situation than to take control…

It’s the banks. It’s payday loans companies. It’s the insurance companies

It’s the employers. It’s the employees. It’s the clients.

It’s the families. It’s the partners. It’s the kids.

Also, Blaming is natural.  Sigmund Freud called it “Psychological projection”. In a study in the late 1990’s Newman, Duff and Baumeister talked about “Defensive projection”.

Whatever you call it…blaming is a distinctly human thing to do.

However playing the “blame game” might make us feel better in the short term one thing it doesn’t do is change the reality of any of our financial situations.

Actually taking control and taking ownership of your situation whatever it might be is one of the first steps in ensuring you are able to start (or continue the) journey to complete financial freedom.

So, instead of looking externally for the answers, what are you going to do to take control of your own financial independence (and journey towards financial freedom) today?