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Personal Development · 2 min read

Personal Development: Wise words from Jim Rohn

Discover Jim Rohn wisdom on personal development and learn why success starts when you stop blaming others and take full responsibility for your growth.

Chris Farmer, Founder of Corporate Coach Group

“Jim Rohn reminds us that progress begins the moment we throw away our list of excuses, put our own name at the top, and accept that only we can steer our personal development towards lasting success.”

Chris Farmer — Founder, Corporate Coach Group

Personal Development: Wise words from Jim Rohn

Personal Development: Wise words from Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn is one of the best American leadership, personal development training gurus.

He has a conversational style. The following is not a direct quote, but is written to reflect Jim's content and style, enjoy:

Reasons why I have not done very well

"When I was 25 years of age, my mentor said to me, "As a matter of interest Jim, why is it you have not done very well, up to now?"

Excellent question!

I laid on him, my list. You know the one; The list called, "Reasons why I have not done very well".

It went like this:

I blame the government; they don't know what it's like to live in the real world.

I blamed the company; if this is all they pay; how do they expect me to do well by my family.

I blamed prices; things cost too much.

I blamed taxes: taxes are way too high.

I blamed my negative relatives: they are only out for themselves, they never loan you money.

I blamed the weather, I blamed the traffic,

I blamed my lousy luck; things just don't work out well for me. I'm not one of the lucky ones.

I blamed circumstances.

I blamed foreigners; taking our jobs.

I gave him the whole list.

It was a pretty good list.

This gets me off the hook, right?

This explains and excuses why I'd not been doing very well.

My mentor took one look at my list. He studied it for a while and said,

"There's one thing wrong with your list, Jim. YOU ain't on it!"

So, my mentor made me throw away my old list. (One of you may have found it though, and are still using it).

He made me write out a new list. It contained only one item.

ME!

It was ME.

I was the reason why I was not doing well.

I was reminded of an old prayer that says,

"Not my father, nor my mother,
Not my brother, nor my sister,
Not a stranger, nor my neighbour,
But it's me, O Lord,
That's Standing in the need of prayer."

[personal Banner]

personal responsibility

Personal responsibility means you, not outside people or events, drive most of your results. You own your choices, do not blame others, act to fix what you can, and learn from each result to grow.

CG4D Definition

Context: Personal development
Genus: Principle

  • You accept that your own choices create most results
  • You stop blaming other people or outside events
  • You take action now to improve the situation
  • You study each result and use it to grow

Article Summary

Jim Rohn reminds us that progress begins the moment we throw away our list of excuses, put our own name at the top, and accept that only we can steer our personal development towards lasting success.

Chris Farmer, Founder of Corporate Coach Group

Written by Chris Farmer

Founder & Lead Trainer, Corporate Coach Group

Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has over 25 years experience designing and delivering leadership and management training across both the public and private sectors. His programmes are structured, practical and built around real-world performance. Read more about Chris and the story of how the Corporate Coach Group was founded.

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Key Statistics

Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2023 found that staff who have regular growth talks with a mentor are 3.2 times more engaged and almost three times more likely to reach their goals.

The 2024 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report says 94% of workers would stay longer at an organisation that invests in their personal growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this topic

Jim Rohn was an American speaker whose simple, sharp lessons on personal development still guide many. His humour and clear stories make his wisdom easy to quote and apply.
The story shows that success starts the moment you drop the blame list and take responsibility for your own results.
When you put your own name on the list, you take responsibility. You can change actions, learn faster, and push steady personal growth.
Notice each excuse, stop blaming others, ask 'What can I do next?', then act today. Repeat until the habit of blame fades.
A wise mentor gives honest advice, asks tough questions, and helps you spot blind spots. This guidance speeds self improvement and keeps you on track.
Jim Rohn says the excuses list feels safe but keeps you stuck. Excuses block honest review, rob you of lessons, and slow success.
Personal responsibility fuels focus, grit, and simple success tips. These traits compound, turning small daily gains into lasting success.

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