Take Control or Take Charge of your Life?
We often hear these two terms used interchangeably and assume they mean the same thing. To “Take Control” of your life is a very different path to “Taking Charge”.
So which is right?
What do I keep saying over and over about control and our lack thereof? The key to happiness is about understanding what you can control and what you can’t, and simply control the controllables and whatever happens with the rest, is what it will be.
The problem with a lot of self-help books, especially coming from the 80’s is that you are told to get your act together, set goals, and work endlessly to achieve them…and all this is ok. The problem arises when we are also told you can be whatever you want to be, you just have to take control of your life and believe in yourself, visualise, and self-actualise. Whilst there is no inherent problem with setting goals, and believing in yourself, and visualising success (these are essential to success), the problem is most people then become bitterly disappointed when they do all of the above yet they still don’t achieve their goals. They forget that they have no control over people and circumstances outside their own thoughts and actions.
So I prefer the term “Take Charge”. This says to me that you set goals, you believe in your ability to put in the best effort, you visualise success…BUT…the key ingredient that is included in “Control” is that you understand that all you can control is your thoughts and actions and that there is a whole world of circumstance out there that can scuttle the best laid plans.
At the end of the day it’s about the effort you put in, not whether you achieve the goal or not. It’s about being self-disciplined. It’s about not having your happiness dependent on the achievement of the goal, but rather on the effort.
