Having a sense of responsibility is a great thing- it teaches you to take accountability and make better life decisions. At first, you may feel under pressure to always make the right decisions and prove just how responsible you are. But you’ll someday look back and realise why it was so important. Here are a few things that can teach you how to be responsible.

Chores

Doing chores may seem like a life skill we all need to get by, which it is, but it’s also a good way to learn how to be responsible. Knowing that you’re responsible for a particular chore teaches you things like time management and honouring a commitment that you’ve made.

A job

Many young adults have jobs because an income is necessary to get through life, and that’s a good enough reason to have a job. However, having a job gives you the responsibility to do what’s expected of you, to show up on time and to be able to take the good, with the bad and the ugly. Once you become a young adult, nothing screams “I’m responsible enough to take care of myself” like having a job. Plus, it teaches you how to spend your money wisely. Money you’ve worked for will always mean more to you than money you were given for nothing.

A pet

Pets are cute, and sometimes even helpful for your mental health, but they’re also way more than just that. Knowing that there’s a living being you have to care for teaches you a sense of responsibility. It may seem like a difficult task at first, but once you can take care of your pet just as well as you take care of yourself, you’ll be a lot more responsible.

School

School is the foundation that prepares you for a life of responsibility. It teaches you the importance of focusing and prioritising. It all starts with remembering due dates for projects and assignments, remembering to do your homework and even to study for tests and exams in advance. All these tasks are solely on you and that’s how responsibility is learnt- when you know that the only person who can truly help you is yourself.

Relationships

Having relationships with other people, whether romantically or otherwise (friends and family) can also teach you a sense of responsibility. Your friends and family will always hold you accountable and expect you take responsibility. Nurturing your relationships is also a form of being responsible and understanding that usually, the effort that you put into them is what you’ll get out of them.

There are many different things that can teach us some form of responsibility. Becoming a responsible person will help you avoid things like blame shifting and not taking accountability of your own actions. There’s a lot of growth that comes from this. What’s the one thing that’s taught you to be responsible? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.