1.3: Accepting Personal Responsibility
When we talk about being in control of our thoughts and ideas, we are speaking of a psychological concept called “locus of control.” People with an internal locus of control believe they are in control or are the cause of their success based on their own effort or ability. People with an external locus of control believe outside forces, such as luck or fate, determine their success. Research has shown that people who have an internal locus of control are more motivated and more likely to succeed. Their expectation of success also is directly related to the extent they feel in control of their own success and failure. People with an internal locus of control accept personal responsibility for their actions, learn from their mistakes and change their behaviors to take new actions (Burns, et al., 2021).
Similarly, people can be motivated by both intrinsic (internal) and extrinsic (external) factors. If people have intrinsic motivation, they take action based on internal thoughts and beliefs such as feeling a sense of accomplishment. If people have extrinsic motivation, they take action to achieve an external reward such as a paycheck or certification (Burns, et al., 2021).
When you are exploring careers and making career decisions, having an internal locus of control and intrinsic motivation will help you believe that you are capable of achieving your career goals. You may have great interest in a potential career, but you may talk yourself out of pursuing that career because you doubt your abilities. Your inner conversation may sound something like this: “I really like reading and watching movies about history, but my memory isn’t good enough to handle all the dates I’d need to memorize.” If you have an internal locus of control and intrinsic motivation, you can take personal responsibility by changing that internal conversation to “I really like reading and watching movies about history, and I will work on my memorization and study skills to make sure I can remember all the dates I will need to know.”
What is Your Locus of Control?
Do you believe you are in control or are the cause of your success based on your own effort or ability or do you believe outside forces, such as luck or fate, determine your success?
What are your thoughts? Provide an example of how your locus of control has impacted you.