A Tale of Two Days

In the space of a week, pick two days for you to test Buckingham’s hypothesis.

On the first day, keep notes of everything and everyone that you could blame for the things that do not go quite the way you might have hoped and planned they would. In other words, have a “Blame Day.”

• At the end of the day, reflect on how you feel.
• Imagine how those around you would have felt if you had actually given voice to your thoughts.
• Reflect on whether complaining and blaming would actually have improved any situation.
• Write down your thoughts.

On the second day, focus on your role and God’s role in everything that happens.

• What might I have done differently?
• What role did I play in something that didn’t go exactly as planned?
• How might I do better next time?
• The goal is not to put guilt on yourself but to focus on what might be possible by God’s grace the next time.
• Without becoming self-deprecating, how might a dose of healthy “taking responsibility” have improved the outcome of your activities?
• How might it help next time?
• In the end, be sure to give God the glory for good things!
• Write down your thoughts and submit them below.